When this small drawing came into the collection, it was attributed to the "School of Murillo”; however, in 1976 Jonathan Brown attributed it to Alonso Cano. Zahira Véliz nevertheless failed to include it in her 2011 catalogue of Cano's drawings, attributing it, instead, to Francisco de Herrera the Younger. The shape of the feet, above all, recalls features of drawings that are likewise attributed to Herrera the Younger: the Holy Family (inv. no. 38474, cat. no. 97, the child's hand) and The Infant John the Baptist with the Lamb (inv. no. 38571, cat. no 92). In the latter, John's head is very much like that of the bottom putto in the present drawing.
In the Biblioteca Nacional in Madrid there are two drawings featuring similar flying putti. They are now ascribed to Herrera the Younger.[1] In the 2001 Madrid catalogue, a third sheet with a number of flying angels in the same technique was still presented as a drawing by Cano, but it was not included in Véliz's 2011 Cano catalogue.[2] In many respects the technique is more characteristic of Herrera the Younger than of Cano. Herrera's flying putti recall the present sheet in the rendering of their heads, bellies, and feet. Moreover, in both drawings their wings are depicted with elongated, twisting lines.

Jens Hoffmann-Samland


1 Child Angel, 12 '16 x 8 /16 in. (30.6 x 20.5 cm), previously attributed to Clemente Fernández de Torres, Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional, inv. no. DIB/15/3/10; and Group of Child Angels among the Clouds, 57/16 X 64 in. (138 x 172 mm), inv. no. DIB/13/1/66.
2. Véliz 2001, 188, no. 76; Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional, inv. no. DIB/15/4/32.

Details zu diesem Werk

• Beschriftung

  Beschriftung fremd: Auf dem kaschierten Verso bezeichnet: "Ban[...]s [...?] / [...?] anien [...?] / [...?] crianza": auf dem Verso in der Mitte nummeriert: "10[?]4" (Bleistift, unterstrichen)

• Provenienz

  [José Atanasio Echeverría]; Julian Benjamin Williams, Seville (d. 1866); John Wetherell (?) (d. 1865); Horatio/Nathan Wetherell (?) (until 1874); Frederick William Cosens, London (from 1874 to 1890); Sotheby's, London, auction of the property of Frederick William Cosens (from November 11 to 21, 1890); Bernard Quaritch Ltd., London (from November 1890 to July 1891); acquired by the Hamburger Kunsthalle (July 14, 1891).

• Bibliographie

  Murillo & his Drawings, Jonathan Brown, 1976, Abb.-Nr.

  The Spanish Gesture. Drawings from Murillo to Goya in the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Jens Hoffmann-Samland, with contributions by María Cruz de Carlos Varona, Gabriele Finaldi, José Manuel Matilla u. a., 2014, S. 218, Abb., Abb.-Nr. , Kat.-Nr. 94