Attributed to Alessandro Vellutello

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Purgatorio, Canto IV, VI: Left Section of the Mountain Top Surrounded by the Sea, the Setting Sun and Stars; Constellation of Three Stars on the Right; Virgil and Dante Exit the Mouth of the Narrow Passage; Virgil and Dante Sit on a Bench; They Pass the Negligent Princes Sitting by a Large Boulder and Dante Talks to Belacqua; Sordello Embraces Virgil; Sordello Guides Virgil and Dante; Sordello Points Out Some of the Souls to Virgil and Dante

Pen and brown ink on paper.

8 1/8 x 11 inches (207 x 280 mm)

Gift of Mr. H.P. Kraus.

1966.12:12

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Notes:

Watermark: none visible through lining.
This drawing probably represents only the left part of a larger composition.
Formerly attributed to Italian School, 16th cent.

Inscription:

Inscribed by the artist, in pen and brown ink, throughout labelling the figures, "V[ergil]; D[ante]; belacqua; Sor[dello]; Sordello"; at lower right "p[rim]a [a superscript] spezie di negligenti"; at upper center, "in q[uell]a [a superscript] valle stanno anime / che hanno differito la penitenza / p[er] causa d'havere honori e dignita / et venendo la sera Sordello conduce Dante / et virg[ili]o [o superscript] nella valle aspettare il novo giorno. / et me[n]tre dante dorme Lucia lo porta su al balzo / dove a la porta del purgatorio"; at upper right, "tutti cantano".

Provenance:

J. I. Davis, London; H. P. Kraus (1907-1988), Vienna and New York, by whom presented to the Pierpont Morgan Library in 1966.

Associated names:

Anonymous, Italian School, 16th cent., Formerly attributed to.
Davis, J. Irving, 1889-1967, former owner.
Kraus, Hans Peter, 1907-1988, former owner.
Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321, Divina Commedia.

Bibliography:

Rhoda Eitel-Porter, "Drawings for the Woodcut Illustrations to Alessandro Vellutello's 1544 Commentary on Dante's Comedia", Print Quarterly, XXXVI, March 2019, pp. 3-17
Matthew Collins, "The Forgotten Morgan Dante Drawings, Their Influence on the Marcolini Commedia of 1544, and Their Place within a Visually-Driven Discourse on Dante's Poem," Dante Studies 136 (2018): 93-132.
Lamberto Donati, "Commento ad una serie di disegni del XVI secolo illustranti la Divina Commedia", La Bibliofilia, LXV, 1963.
Adams, Frederick B., Jr., ed. Fifteenth Report to the Fellows of the Pierpont Morgan Library, 1967 & 1968. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1969, p. 91-92.
Pierpont Morgan Library. Review of Acquisitions, 1949-1968. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1969, p. 150.

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Vellutello, Alessandro

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