Giacinto CALANDRUCCI (Palermo, 1646 - 1707) Glory of Saint Andrew Corsini

Giacinto CALANDRUCCI
(Palermo, 1646 - 1707)

Glory of Saint Andrew Corsini

Pen and brown ink and white gouache highlights on stone sketch on brown paper
477 x 414 mm (oval)

Provenance: Richard Houlditch Jr. (London, +1736), L.2214; his stamp and no. 15 lower left
Comparative bibliography: D. Graf, Die Handzeichnungen von Giacinto Calandrucci, Düsseldorf 1986, II, p. 515, Taf. A.89. N. 503-4, fig. 567-8 and 570
The Calandrucci inventory has been studied by A.L. Desmas, L'universo artistico di un allievo di Maratti: Lo studio Calandrucci e le sue raccolte descritti da un nuovo inventario in the "Bollettino d'Arte", n.118 - Ottobre-Dicembre 2001, p.79-121
This large and very accomplished leaf is a perfectly typical example of the vigorous and effective style of Giacinto Calandrucci, one of the main collaborators of Carlo Maratta. The mitre, crosier and crown that the saint receives from an angel point to Saint Andrew Corsini. Although the final composition has not yet been identified, it seems to have been of some importance, judging by the small group of drawings related to it. Two other drawings in oval format show the same composition but with different techniques (Figs. 1 and 2).
The Düsseldorf Museum holds two drawings for the hands of the saint and for the putti.
The Department of Graphic Arts of the Louvre holds a single head of the holy bishop in red chalk and white chalk highlights on blue paper (Fig. 3).
However, the constant oval shape of two other sheets indicates that this was probably a project for a church or chapel decoration.