Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries
Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries
Property from a European Private Collection
Attributed to Peter Oliver
Recto: A young couple leaning towards each other, seen from behind; Verso: Study of Saint John the Baptist
Auction Closed
July 6, 10:38 AM GMT
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from a European Private Collection
Attributed to Peter Oliver
London 1584 - 1647
Recto: A young couple leaning towards each other, seen from behind;
Verso: Study of Saint John the Baptist
Black chalk (recto and verso) with touches of red chalk (recto)
145 by 186 mm
Sale, London, Christie's, 6 July 1993, lot 25 (as Attributed to Cristofano Roncalli);
Private Collection, France;
Sale, London, Sotheby's, 6 July 2010, lot 15
Despite its considerable quality, establishing a firm attribution for this intriguing drawing has proved challenging. The shape of the woman's head, the delicacy of the handling and the slightly Northern feeling point away from Italy and even from purely Dutch possibilities. The drawings of Isaac and Peter Oliver have not been studied carefully, and there is little visual material to support an attribution. However, a finely drawn, black chalk Judgement of Paris, originally sold as Follower of Goltzius, was convincingly attributed to Peter's father Isaac Oliver when sold again in 1987, which could point to a fruitful avenue of exploration for the present work.1
1. Sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby Mak van Waay, 19 April 1982, lot 10; London, Sotheby's, 18th and 19th Century British Drawings and Watercolours, 9 March 1989, lot 30