(Venice 1696-1770 Madrid) An allegory of Merit (recto), Study of the head of a horse (verso), numbered "421", pen and brown ink over traces of black chalk, brown wash on laid paper, 29,7 x 19,4 cm, inscribed "Merito" and numbered "421", mounted, unframed, (Sch)

Provenance: Dr. Johannes Pieter de Frey (1770-1834), Lugt 1443;
Collection I. Q. van Regteren Altena (1899-1980), Lugt 4617;
auction Christie's Paris, "Dessins anciens et du XIXe siècle incluant la colletion I. Q. van Regteren Altena, 25th March 2015, Lot 44;
Private collection, Italy.

Exhibited: Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, "Italiaanse tekeningen uit een Amsterdamse collectie, 1970, No. 128, fig.90.

Literature: A. Pallucchini, L'opera completa di Giambattista Tiepolo, Milan 1968, p. 99, No. 90; A. Morassi, A complete catalogue of the paintings of Giovann Battista Tiepolo, London 1962, Nr. 370; G. Knox, Catalogue of the Tiepolo Drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1960, No. 14.

The attribution of the present drawing to Giovanni Battista Tiepolo was confirmed by Prof. Giorgio Marini, Uffizi (Email 30th June 2015) and by Prof. Adelheid Gealt (Email 28th Aug. 2015).

The present drawing is connected with a fresco cycle in the Villa Loschi al Biron in Vicenza whose frescoes in grisaille technique were assigned to Tiepolo by Duke Nicolo Loschi in 1734 (Palluchini 1968, S. 99, No. 90). Five further preliminary drawings for the cycle are known and preserved in the Civico Museum in Triest, including studies for the allegories of justice, temperance and truth which were formerly kept in the Rasini collection (Morassi 1962, No. 370). A sketch for the allegory of fortitude is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Knox 1960, No. 14). The study of the head of a horse in black chalk on the reverse of the sheet is typical for the drawing style of the artist. It is comparable with another study of the head of a horse in the drawing „Group of orientals and soldiers with a horse“ in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.