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Lot Essay
Giorgio Vasari's first mention of Guglielmo della Porta in his Life of the artist written in 1567 states that in 1530 he was in Milan copying works by Leonardo da Vinci. In 1534 della Porta was called to Genoa to work with his uncle Gian Giacomo. There he executed a number of independent sculptures and at the same time worked as stuccatore with Perino del Vaga. The latter exerted an important influence on the young artist, particularly on his drawing style. As with Perino (see lot 10), Guglielmo's favourite technique is pen and ink without wash. He draws, according to Bernice Davidson 'multiple delicate and elongated figures in a dry and agitated line formed with complex nods and cuts like a razor' (Mostra di disegni di Perino del Vaga e sua cerchia, exhib. cat., Florence, Uffizi, 1976, under no. 79). A similarly early sheet close in style and depicting elaborate helmet studies is in the Uffizi (B. Davidson, op. cit., no. 79, fig. 69). Two late albums relating to the commissions of Pope Paul III are in Düsseldorf (W. Gramberg, Die Düsseldorfer Skizzenbücher des Guglielmo della Porta, Berlin, 1964).
Vasari dates della Porta's departure for Rome to 1537 and adds that through his uncle he met Michelangelo. The latter, who befriended the young artist, obtained for him a post restoring the Farnese collection of antique sculpture which included the newly discovered Farnese Hercules. He was then recommended to Pope Paul III Farnese, who commissioned bronzes and marble busts from him. In 1547, at the death of Sebastiano del Piombo, della Porta took over his office as keeper of the seal (piombo) of the Papal bulls. His only commission thereafter is the tomb of Paul III, finished in 1575 and moved in 1629 to the choir of Saint Peter's in Rome.
Franz Ritter von Hauslab (1798-1883), who owned this drawing, collected military prints, ornament books and scientific works. He was the son of a drawing teacher in Vienna and was himself a Field-Marshal and director of the artillery. He was private tutor to the Emperor Franz Joseph.
Vasari dates della Porta's departure for Rome to 1537 and adds that through his uncle he met Michelangelo. The latter, who befriended the young artist, obtained for him a post restoring the Farnese collection of antique sculpture which included the newly discovered Farnese Hercules. He was then recommended to Pope Paul III Farnese, who commissioned bronzes and marble busts from him. In 1547, at the death of Sebastiano del Piombo, della Porta took over his office as keeper of the seal (piombo) of the Papal bulls. His only commission thereafter is the tomb of Paul III, finished in 1575 and moved in 1629 to the choir of Saint Peter's in Rome.
Franz Ritter von Hauslab (1798-1883), who owned this drawing, collected military prints, ornament books and scientific works. He was the son of a drawing teacher in Vienna and was himself a Field-Marshal and director of the artillery. He was private tutor to the Emperor Franz Joseph.