painting (oil): ["A Bishop"]

"Oil sketch on paper - almost certainly intended for St. Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan" [Register] "this sketch is pretty certainly by one of the early XVII century Milanese, G. B. Crespi (Il Cerano) or G. G. Procaccini or, I think less probably Camillo Procaccini(?) or Morazzone, but they are very difficult to distinguish and it would be impossible to be certain unless one stumbled on the picture for which this presumably is the fragment of the bozzetto. I think the bishop is pretty certainly S. Carlo Borromeo and it might possibly be a sketch for part of one of the large pictures in the Duomo at Milan of his life and miracles. Two by Cerano are illustrated in Prussian Jahobach XLVI (1925) p. 270,271." [Letter in Registry by A E Popham to A M Hind, both at BM, 31/5/1944] A bishop, wearing a mitre and a pale yellow cope, inclines forwards slightly as he raises his right hand in blessing. A second figure, cut off on the right, appears to be kneeling in front of him. Virag 14/12/2004, Between 1984 and 1985, a research assistant, Dr. Brendan Cassidy, was employed by Nottingham Castle Museum to research and write a catalogue of the foreign oil paintings in their collection. The catalogue never materialised, but drafts and notes relating to Cassidy's research can be found in the Artist Files and in the Archive at the museum. All references to Cassidy relate to these documents. The date and school of NCM 1940-31 were suggested by A.E. Popham, British Museum, London in 1944. (Letter dated 31 May 1944 from A.E. Popham in Donor File NCM 1944-31) Popham suggested possible authors of NCM 1944-31 could be G.B. Crespi (Il Cerano), G.G. Procaccini, Camillo Procaccini or Morazzone. The most likely, in his opinion, being Il Cerano. The suggestion of Il Cerano was supported in 1984 by Ellis Waterhouse, (Letter dated 16 June 1984 to Cassidy in Artist File) The bishop was also identified by Popham ("pretty certainly") as St. Charles Borromeo, Cardinal Archbishop of Milan. NCM 1944-31 is presumed to be a fragment of a preliminary sketch, or "bozzetto", for a larger and more finished work which remains unidentified. Popham has suggested that it may relate to one of the large pictures in the Duomo at Milan of the life and miracles of St. Carlo Borromeo. Cassidy has suggested that the kneeling figure could be a donor portrait. NCM 1944-31 apparently originated with a retired Royal Marine officer who approached Llewellyn Davies regarding a possible sale to the museum. (Letter 4 July 1944 from Llewellyn Davies to Clement Pitman in Donor File NCM 1944-31) On the front: The paper used appears to be a page of closely written Latin text which shows through the paint. It is especially visible on the upper portion of the sketch. The impasted paint is badly crcked on the bishop's right arm and elsewhere. The surface is yellowed under a layer of varnish and the paper is slightly torn at the edges. On the reverse: 1. NCM accession number 2. White label: "52" (this refers to the rack location of NCM 1944-31 in the small picture store) Virag 14/12/2004, With Dr. J. Llewellyn Davies by July 1944