Italian School, of the 17th Century - Study After The Frescoes Of B. Lanino

Italian School, 17th century
Study after Bernardino Lanino’s Frescoes in Santa Caterina, Milan

Red chalk on paper
297 x 186 mm
Annotated on the verso: “Vani”

Provenance
– Private collection, France
– Private collection, Germany

Description
Executed in red chalk, this animated sheet presents a scene of courtly or biblical character, with a richly dressed elder seated on a throne and a female figure presenting an object—perhaps a ring or a jewel—surrounded by secondary figures and two playful putti at the foreground. The elegant, linear handling and compositional structure relate closely to the fresco cycle by Bernardino Lanino (c. 1512–1582) in the church of Santa Caterina in Milan.

While the drawing was formerly attributed to Agostino Ciampelli (1565–1630), both the technique and the subject matter suggest it may instead be the work of a later hand copying or interpreting Lanino’s work, possibly within a Lombard or Florentine context. The inscription “Vani” on the verso has led some to suggest a connection with Ottavio Vannini (1585–1643), though this attribution remains tentative.