- Museum number
- Pp,1.17
- Description
-
The Virgin in Adoration; half-length, to right, looking up, wearing a linen headscarf
Silverpoint on white-prepared paper, touched with red chalk, incised for highlights
- Production date
- 1452-1470
- Dimensions
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Height: 170 millimetres (chain lines 40 mm apart)
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Width: 125 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Attributed in the inventory of 1836 to Antonello da Messina. The anonymous sheet is, however, closely related to other silverpoint drawing executed in the workshop of Rogier van der Weyden.
The female figure shows some resemblances to the Virgin featured in some paintings attributed to Rogier van der Weyden and his workshop showing Christ on the Cross with the Virgin Mary and Lamentation scenes. The most convincing correspondence is with the figure of the Virgin Mary in 'Crucifixion with Donors', of which an anonymous copy exists in the St Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges. [Information from Neil Davidson]
This drawing is trimmed to the same size as another silverpoint drawing related to Rogier van der Weyden (1910,0212.204) and features the same old backing, which might indicate that they perhaps once belonged to the same collection?
Literature: J.D. Passavant, 'Tour of a German Artist in England', London, 1836, (translation from the original German ed. published in Frankfurt, 1833), II, 94 (as workshop of van Eyck); G.F. Waagen, 'Treasures of Art of Great Britain', London, 1854, p.228 (erroneously described as study by Jan Gossaert, now attributed to Gerard David); E. Panofsky, 'Early Netherlandish Painting', I, New York, 1971, p.299, note 483; C. Stroo and P. Syfer-d'Olne, 'The Flemish Primitives', exh.cat., 1996, pp.58-59; Joanna Russell, Judith Rayner and Jenny Bescoby, 'Northern European Metalpoint Drawings: technical examination and analysis', London, 2016, p. 15, 31-39, 79.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
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1973, BM, Netherlandish prints and drawings (no cat.)
2019-2020 11 Oct-26 Jan, York, York Art Gallery, Making a Masterpiece: Bouts and Beyond
- Previous owner
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Previous owner/ex-collection: Anonymous (T Philipe, 24.iv.1801/113 as "A lady's head, in a devout attitude, by Anthonella da Messina (born in 13920, died in 1455) in a loose veil, thrown back, with long hair - silver point, on prepared ground, with Indian ink wash, a tinge of colour - very fine, from the same (Ploos) collection")
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Previous owner/ex-collection: Cornelis Ploos van Amstel (Lugt 2034; Lugt 3002-3004; his sale, Amsterdam, 3.iii.1800 as "'t dito van eene heilige Vrouw, met de pen en potlood, door A. de Messina" (in Portfolio LL, under Italian drawings))
- Acquisition date
- 1824
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- Pp,1.17