Utrecht School, 17th century

Carlo Lucido (L.3269)

Though this large and powerful head study is in some respects reminiscent of drawings produced in the orbit of Rubens, there are also similarities with the very rare drawings of the Utrecht Caravaggists. Any attempt to make an attribution in that milieu is, however, fraught with difficulty, as the only artist from this exceptionally creative group who has left a substantial drawn oeuvre is Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656), to whom this drawing cannot be attributed.

All the same, one can reasonably point out that the particular way of depicting the open mouth is rather reminiscent of the works of Hendrick ter Brugghen (1588-1629), and indeed the face and expression seen in this drawing are not far at all from those of the central background figure of a singing woman in Ter Brugghen's 1623 canvas, David with the Praise-Singing Israelite Women, in Raleigh.¹ But given that not a single unquestionably autograph drawing by Ter Brugghen is known today, no very substantial conclusions can be drawn from these observations.

That said, the facial type seen here, along with the manner of working the chalks - somewhat reminiscent of the large figure drawings of Abraham Bloemaert, godfather of the art of drawing in Utrecht and beyond, yet also reflecting a subtle Italianate quality - does seem consistent with the suggestion that this drawing is by one of the Utrecht Caravaggists. The tantalising and enigmatic inscription on the reverse also appears to reinforce such a link.

^1.Raleigh, The North Carolina Museum of Art, inv. GL 60.17.66; L.J. Slatkes and W. Franits, The paintings of Hendrick ter Brugghen 1588-1629, Amsterdam/Philadelphia 2007, cat. A5, reproduced plate 5 and colour plate II