Guercino

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Guercino

1591-1666

Christ Crowned with Thorns. Two Attendants

1647

Black, red, and white chalk and brown wash on paper.

7 1/2 x 12 inches (191 x 305 mm)

Purchased by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1909.

I, 101a

Notes:

For Guercino's painting of the subject now in Munich, commissioned by Marchese Tanari.
Guercino was commissioned to paint an Ecce Homo in 1647, spurring him to create one of the most complex and interesting sets of variations on a theme in his drawing oeuvre. Some sheets, including this one, emphasize the cruel act of pressing the crown of thorns onto Christ's head, while others have the gauntleted soldier staring at or mocking Christ. The combination of media used in this drawing is relatively unusual for the artist. Multicolored chalks, dilute brown wash, stumping, and a wet brush used in places to blur and blend the red chalk all unite in a technique that is far more complex than it at first seems. -- Exhibition label: Guercino, virtuoso draftsman, Morgan Library & Museum, 4 October 2019-2 February 2020.

Provenance:

By descent from the artist in the Casa Gennari, Bologna; Francesco Forni, Bologna; John Bouverie (ca. 1722-1750), Northampton (L. 325); his sister Ann Bouverie, Betchworth, Surrey; her husband John Hervey, Betchworth, Surrey (no mark; see L. S. 2858c); his son Christopher Hervey (d. 1786), London and Betchworth, Surrey; his aunt, Elizabeth Bouverie, Teston, Kent; bequeathed to Sir Charles Middleton, later 1st Baron Barham (1726-1813), Teston, Kent; by descent to his grandson, Sir Charles Noel, 3rd Baron Barham, later 1st Earl of Gainsborough (1781-1866), Exton Park, Oakham (no mark; see L. S. 2858c); his sale, London, Christie's, 20 July 1859; Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919), London and Florence; from whom purchased through Galerie Alexandre Imbert, Rome, in 1909 by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), New York (no mark; see L. 1509); his son, J. P. Morgan, Jr. (1867-1943), New York.

Associated names:

Forni, Francesco, active 1740s, former owner.
Bouverie, John, 1722 or 1723-1750, former owner.
Bouverie, Anne, -1757, former owner.
Hervey, John, -1764, former owner.
Hervey, Christopher, -1786, former owner.
Bouverie, Elizabeth, -1798, former owner.
Middleton, Charles, Sir, 1726-1813, former owner.
Gainsborough, Charles Noel, Earl of, 1781-1866, former owner.
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.
Morgan, J. P. (John Pierpont), 1867-1943, former owner.

Bibliography:

Marciari, John. Guercino : virtuoso draftsman. New York : Morgan Library & Museum, in association with Paul Holberton Publishing, 2019, no. 29, repr.
McCullagh 2014, 152; Turner 2017, 640.

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