The drawing, executed in pen, ink and gray wash on laid watermarked paper, depicts a religious scene, showing a woman kneeling (most likely in a church) worshipping (most likely) a religious sculpture. A man left is looking in the same direction.
Our drawing must have been part of some preparatory studies for a larger scale painting.
Authorship : the drawing is from the Italian-Roman School of the Baroque period, attributed to Giuseppe Bonati.
GIUSEPPE BONATI (Ferrara 1635 - Rome 1681) : Italian painter, draughtsman, active in Rome and Ferrara. He is also known as Giovannino del Pio or Giovanni Bonatti. He
initially trained as a pupil of Francesco Costanzo Cattaneo and Leonello
Bononi. Under the patronage of cardinal Carlo Pio di Savona, he was sent in 1658 to Bologna to train with Guercino. In 1662, he travels to Rome to work in the studio of Pier Francesco Mola. Bonati attempts to establish a studio to rival Carlo Maratta.
Along with his patrons, he traveled through Italy, including Venice, returning to Rome in 1665 where he received many commissions for church decorations, including the Santa Croce in Gerusaleme and the Santa Maria in Vallicella. in many churches, including.
Period : ca. 1660-1670.
Size : 13,8x9,3cm.