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Leaning Nude Man (Recto), Kneeling Man and Hands Tied Behind His Back (Verso), c. 1618

Workshop of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri known as Guercino

Exhibited by Poncelin de Raucourt Fine Arts

Material Black chalk heightened with white on light blue-grey paper

Dimensions 46 x 35.5 cm

Status Vetted

About the Work

This double-sided drawing is a compelling early work by Guercino, recently attributed by scholars. The recto showcases a strikingly lively nude figure, linking to Guercino’s Burial and Assumption of Saint Petronilla (1623) in Rome, while the verso references a figure in his lost Martyrdom of Saint James the Greater (1627), known from a surviving engraving.

This study reflects Guercino’s formative years and the influence of Faccini and the Carracci’s life-drawing methods in Bologna, embracing strong chiaroscuro and anatomical accuracy. Executed in black chalk with white highlights, the artist captures both strength and subtlety, aiming to instill realism suited for religious iconography. The recto’s figure leans dynamically on a staff, while the verso’s restrained posture explores light and shadow, enhancing both figures’ expressiveness. This drawing is an outstanding example of Guercino’s technical skill and innovative style, blending observation with creative interpretation.

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Provenance

Private collection, France

Literature

Malvasia, Carlo Cesare – Felsina Pittrice: Vite de’ Pittori Bolognesi, 1678.

Pasqualini, Giovanni Battista – Gravure du Martyre de Saint Jacques le Majeur, 1628.

Mahón, Denis, et Nicholas Turner – The Drawings of Guercino in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle, Cambridge, 1989.

Tuyll van Serooskerken, Carel van – Guercino (1591-1666): Drawings from Dutch Collections, catalogue d’exposition, Teylers Museum, Haarlem, 1991.

Turner, Nicholas – Guercino: Master Draughtsman, catalogue de l'exposition au Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, 1991.

Mahon, Denis – Guercino, Disegni, catalogue d’exposition, Bologna, 1968.

Zafran, Eric M. – One Hundred Drawings in the Chrysler Museum at Norfolk, catalogue d’exposition, 1979.