Watermark: none.
Maarten van Heemskerck was one of the most important and productive Dutch artists of the sixteenth century, and his compositions, widely known through engravings, inspired Rembrandt among many others. This drawing shows an old bearded patriarch dressing a man at the front of a long line of unclothed people. It is the design for a print series of The Seven Works of Mercy, a popular subject that promoted charitable acts within the Christian faith. Heemskerck's typical meticulous lines and careful hatchings provided a detailed model for Dirck Volkertsz. Coornhert, who engraved the series in 1552. -- Exhibition Label, from "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection"
Signed and dated in upper center, "Martinus Van / Heemskerck / inventor / 1552."
Thaw, Eugene Victor, former owner.
Thaw, Clare, former owner.
The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY, "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection", 2017. Exh. cat., no. 196, repr.
Denison, Cara D. et al. The Thaw Collection : Master Drawings and New Acquisitions. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1994, no. 7.