(1777-1815), The Holy Blood of Christ, pen and brown ink, over traces of red chalk, on laid paper, 32,2 x 19,8 cm, mounted, unframed, (Sch)

Topic and composition of the present drawing go back to the painting by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini "Il Sangue di Cristo" (Palazzo Chigi, Ariccia) which was reproduced in an engraving only short time after its execution by Francois Spierre (1639-1681) in 1670. Crucified Christ is surrounded by his father, the Virgin and a group of angels above the sea, which is fuelled from the blood of Christ’s wounds. While painting and engraving are generally identical, the later drawing shows several discrepancies from the baroque composition in the arrangement of the figures and their dynamics. The drawing is significantly marked by a Neo-classical formal language, which lets suggest an attribution to a North Italian artist from the circle of Giuseppe Bossi (Milan 1777-1815).

Literature:
For comparable drawings by Bossi see: Roberta Olson, Italian Drawings, 1780-1890, Exh. Cat., American Federation of Arts, Minneapolis/ San Franciso 1980. The engraving by F. Spierre after the painting by Bernini is illustrated in: Maria Grazia Bernardini (Ed.), Gian Lorenzo Bernini Regista del Barocco, Rome 1999, No. 222, p. 287.