(Venice 1736–1776 Madrid) Roman historical scene; Scene of a sacrifice, en grisaille in dark green and gold, oil on canvas 51.4 x 56 cm, framed (2)

Provenance: Paris, Eric Coatelem, 1992; Milan, Matteo Salamon, 1999; Milan, Finarte, 20 November 2001 (lot 65), as Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. E

xhibited: Paris, Tableaux anciens à la Galerie Louvois S.A.R.L., September-October 1992

Prof. George Knox dates the present grisailles in dark green and gold to the year 1758. They formed part of a series of four pictures executed in the same technique and featuring identical dimensions. Two of these pictures are now in the Stanley Moss Collection in New York and were published by Gemin and Pedrocco as works by Giambattista Tiepolo (comp. Giambattista Tiepolo. I dipinti opera completa, Venice 1993, p. 338, figs. 245 and 246). George Knox: „The connection with the Tiepolo studio is indisputable, since in the item with the standing soldier in the centre, the woman and child on the left derive directly from Giambattista‘s etching, Scherzo di Fantasia 15 - Rizzi, 1971 (18). Moreover the seated man on the right derives from an etching by Domenico after a canvas by Giambattista, Armida and Adrastes, in the National Gallery in London - Rizzi, 1981 (129). It should be noted that Lorenzo, in his early years, made something of a speciality of pen drawings more or less in the manner of Giambattista‘s Scherzi. Compare, for example, the drawing in the Lehman collection - Byam Shaw and George Knox, The Lehman Collection, vol. VI, New York, 1987 (176) - where the style is closest of the present pictures.“

Provenance: Paris, Eric Coatelem, 1992; Milan, Matteo Salamon, 1999; Milan, Finarte, 20 November 2001 (lot 65), as Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Exhibited: Paris, Tableaux anciens à la Galerie Louvois S.A.R.L., September-October 1992 Prof. George Knox dates