The inscription suggests that the drawing may have once been attributed to Andrea del Sarto also known as Andrea d’Agnolo, and it was sold as such as late as in the 1968 Laporte sale. Instead, the drawing clearly is by a north Italian artist of the first half of the sixteenth century. According to a note dated 1969 by Janos Scholz, Philip Pouncey had suggested an attribution to the Cremonese master Gianfrancesco Bembo (1480–1543) under which name it entered the Morgan collection.
According to a note dated 1969 by János Scholz, Philip Pouncey had suggested an attribution to the Cremonese master Gianfrancesco Bembo (?1480- ?1543) under which name it entered the Morgan collection. It has not been possible to determine the artist who made this drawing.
Inscribed at upper left, in pen and brown ink, "3."; on verso, at lower right, in pen and brown ink, gone over in black chalk, "Cennini d'Agnolo (?)"; in red chalk, "G 416"; in graphite, "Teixeira Gomez collection; BE".
Watermark: Circle, bisected, surmounted by a pole with cross. (close to Briquet 3063: Treviso, 1521).
Sarto, Andrea del, 1486-1530, possible former attribution.
Vallardi, Giuseppe, 1784-1861, former owner.
Gomez, Teixeira, former owner.
Laporte, George L., former owner.
D'Arpino, Giuseppe, former owner.
Scholz, János, former owner.