Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, called Parmigianino
(Italian, 1503–1540)
Nude Woman Seated on a Bed, ca. 1525–30
Pen and brown ink, brown wash
Reclining Male Nude with Legs Crossed, ca. 1533–39
Pen and black ink, gray wash
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1909
Mariette was an expert paper restorer and often manipulated the drawings in his collection with the intention of improving their legibility. He commonly added strips of paper around the edges of drawings not only to supply missing parts of the composition but also to center the sheets on the mounts more precisely. On this mat he framed two very small Parmigianino sketches together. Close observation shows that the tiny fragment at the top was enlarged around the edges and its composition completed by the collector in pen and ink.