Radocsay Dénes - Gerevich Lászlóné szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 25. (Budapest,1964)
JAFFÉ, MICHAEL: Some Pen Drawings of Landscape with Figures by Annibale Carracci
hands, «Del Caracio» and «Annibale Carracci», are at least further confirmation of the authorship of the original. Another such, also examined recently by Dr. Fenyő, is at Windsor (no. 5729). This second drawing was catalogued in 1952 by R. Wittkower with «Drawings in the Manner of Lodovico» (his no. 76) with the comment, «A weak drawing; it belongs into the circle of Lodovico as is shown by the types of the figures». Formerly known just as «Carracci School», the Windsor drawing is an obvious and feeble copy, almost exactly the size of the original. More of a problem is a drawing at Chatsworth (no. 459), to which Mr. Mahon and Mr. J. Byam Shaw drew my notice (Fig. 70). 22 The copyist here has introduced his acquaintance with the changes between the Budapest drawing and Mrs. Winter's painting. The hair of his Madonna is turbaned, instead of being dressed in coils behind Her head. The head of Joseph is lowered in his arms, even more than in the painting; and his fingers outstretched have lost their energy entirely; a sad change from the original drawing where he really watches his Wife and Child, vitally alert to the finger tips. The sky no longer boils with cumulus sent swirling upwards by the distant mountain: it attempts, with a rather slack calligraphy, to find an equivalent for the more extended and steadier formation of the clouds in the painting. Certain features of the Budapest drawing are followed without understanding : the saddlecloth of the horse becomes a meaningless bundle, and its hind legs pathetically lifeless. The bank on which Joseph rests, and the scrub behind him, are drawn as if no clear solution had been provided : and the foreground vegetation is rendered tame. More generally revealing of the status of the Chatsw T orth drawing as a copy is the refined flabbiness of the penwork and the lack of feeling for the grow r th and rhythm in the landscape composition. It is unlikely to be a copy of a missing original which developed the ideas of the Budapest drawing towards the painting. It is most sensibly regarded as the work of someone in Annibale's immediate circle who had the chance to be familiar both with his original drawing and with his painting. Finally Dr. Fenyő has discovered at the Louvre, amongst the drawings classified as by Domenichino, an unquestionable original by Annibale (No. 9112) for the «Landscape with the Cardplayers». This superbly energetic drawing bears the collector's mark of P. J Mariette; and it is stuck down on the remains of one of his characteristic blue mounts, enough to show the cartouche with his inscription «Dominici Zampieri». Annibale's underdrawing in black chalk is visible in many places on the white paper beneath his penwork in brown ink. The top edge of the sheet has been repaired. Otherwise the drawing has survived in good condition. It has the same measurement in width, and only 15 mm. more height, than the corresponding drawing at Budapest. Dr. Fenyő himself will publish this important new discoverv. MICHAEL JAFFË (Cambridge) 22 Devonshire Collections, Chatsworth. No. 459. Pen and brown ink on white paper, 275 X 417 mm. I am indebted to the Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement for permission to publish this drawing; and to Mr. T. S. Wragg, Keeper of the Collections, for supplying me with a photograph and information. There are no collector's marks on the drawing, and nothing is known for certain of its provenance. Mr. Wragg informs me that Professor Wittkower called it «Annibale, or a studio copy after (him)». 7 Bulletin 25 97
