Watermark: none visible through lining.
This drawing is a preparatory study by the artist for six soldiers in the foreground, just left of center, of the fresco "The Foundation of Orbetello", executed ca. 1563-65 in the Sala dei Fasti Farnesiani, Palazzo Farnese, Rome.
Inscribed at lower right, in pen and brown ink, "Thadeo Z(cropped by edge of sheet)"; on verso, at top, in pen and brown ink, "[..]o Farnese in a Room painted by Taddeo Zuccaro with th/ of Alexander Farnese. These Soldiers are there / JB (Barnard paraphe)"; in graphite, "Taddeo Zuccaro / for the Palazzo Farnese, Rome / Colls: Richardson, sen; Barnard / Lawrence, Phillips, Rosenbach / Phillips Album page 12 (32)".
Richardson, Jonathan, 1665-1745, former owner.
Barnard, John, d. 1784, former owner.
Lawrence, Thomas, Sir, 1769-1830, former owner.
Rosenbach, A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf), 1876-1952, former owner.
Scholz, János, former owner.
Rhoda Eitel-Porter and and John Marciari, Italian Renaissance Drawings at the Morgan Library & Museum, New York, 2019, no. 111.
Selected references: Houston 1966, no. 56; ProvIdence 1968, no. V.2; Gere 1969, no. 151; Gere 1970, no. 7; Washington and New York 1973-74, no. 8; Washington and elsewhere 1974-75, no. 31; Scholz 1976, no. 46; Cheney 1981, no. 8; Fellows Report 20 1984, 223; Milwaukee and New York 1989-90, no. 35; Acidini Luchinat 1999, 1:250, 263n160; Bolzoni 2016, 148.
Ryskamp, Charles, ed. Nineteenth Report to the Fellows of the Pierpont Morgan Library, 1978-1980. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1981, p. 223.
Scholz, Washington, D.C.-New York 1973-1974, under no. 8.
Scholz, Italian Master Drawings, 1976, no. 46, repr.