Echoes of the Past: Property from an Important Private Collection

Provenance:

Probably the Earl of Arundel

Probably Antonio Maria Zanetti

Thence by descent

Giovanni Antonio Armano (according to the engraved inscription on the related etching by Rosaspina)

T. Philipe (L. 2451)

Sold: Rieunier & Associés, Paris, April 12, 2008, Lot 12

Jean-Luc Baroni, Ltd., London

Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2009

Literature:

A.E. Popham, Catalogue of the Drawings of Parmigianino, New Haven and London, 1971, I, under nos. O.R. 93 and 521, II, pl. 202

Suzanne Folds McCullagh and Laura M. Giles, Italian Drawings before 1600 in the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 1997, no. 217, pp. 168-169

Lot Essay:

Until recently, this drawing was known only through an etching by Francesco Rosaspina (c. 1762-1841), part of a set of facsimiles after Parmigianino acquired by the British Museum in 1919. Eight etchings in the group, including this one, bear inscriptions indicating they reproduced works from the collection of Giovanni Antonio Armano, a late 18th century Venetian dealer. The Rosaspina print, in reverse to the actual drawing and showing slightly more of the right-hand figure, led scholar A.E. Popham to assert it depicted a genuine Parmigianino work from his Roman period.

Popham connected the drawing to Parmigianino’s Marriage of the Virgin in the École des Beaux-Arts, and to other pen-and-wash compositions with looping lines and atmospheric effects. These include the Pool of Bethesda in a private collection, Christ Healing the Sick (Musée des Beaux-Arts, Angers), and The Worship of Jupiter (British Museum). All are thought to be influenced by Raphael’s Vatican frescoes, particularly The School of Athens, and his tapestry designs for the Sistine Chapel.

The present drawing's dramatic light effects, enhanced with white heightening, suggest a nocturnal scene illuminated from within a nearby building—possibly a temple. One central figure gestures forward while looking back, hinting at a broader narrative or crowd, as seen in related works.

Popham’s belief that this piece was part of a larger composition is supported by parallels with the Art Institute of Chicago drawing, once also known only through prints. Both reflect Parmigianino’s imaginative engagement with Raphael’s elegant style during this lesser-understood, experimental phase of his career.