Abraham Bloemaert (Gorinchem 1564/66-1651 Utrecht)
These lots have been imported from outside the EU … Read more FROM A GERMAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
Abraham Bloemaert (Gorinchem 1564/66-1651 Utrecht)

A seated youthful figure, and subsidiary studies of a man's head, a putto and limbs

Details
Abraham Bloemaert (Gorinchem 1564/66-1651 Utrecht)
A seated youthful figure, and subsidiary studies of a man's head, a putto and limbs
black chalk heightened with white (parly oxidized) on pink prepared paper, a small loss at the upper right corner
7¾ x 9½ in. (19.6 x 24.3 cm.)
Provenance
Bernhard Himmelheber, and by descent to the present owner.
Special notice
These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

Lot Essay

The feet of the infant shown in the upper right quadrant of this sheet were engraved in a different arrangement by Frederick Bloemaert (1610-circa 1669) in his famous Teekenboek, published circa 1650 (see M. Roethlisberger, Abraham Bloemaert and his sons: paintings and prints, Ghent, 1993, I, no. T63, II, fig. T63). The other feet shown in the engraving were taken from a sheet of studies by Abraham from the so-called 'Cambridge Album' at the Fitzwilliam Museum (Inv. PD 166-1963; J. Bolten, Abraham Bloemaert c.1565-1651: The Drawings, Amsterdam, 2007, I, no. 1172, II, fig. 1172). Although Frederick usually followed his father's drawings from the 'Cambridge Album' quite closely in his prints, he did occasionally re-arrange these studies and, as is the case with the engraving for which he also used this drawing, added elements from other sheets.

We are grateful to Jaap Bolten for confirming the attribution to Abraham Bloemaert on the basis of a digital photograph. Jaap Bolten will include this drawing in his forthcoming addenda to the 2007 catalogue.

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