The drawing was believed to be by Camillo Boccaccino when it entered the collection of the Morgan Library. That attribution seems untenable – the study appears to be by a later North Italian hand, and Nancy Ward Neilson suggested Giovanni Battista Crespi called il Cerano (Cerano, near Novara, ca. 1575 - 1632 Milan) or Lampagnano. The former attribution seemed preferable and was subsequently confirmed by the Giulio Bora’s discovery of a related painting (correspondence, departmental file).
Formerly attributed to Camillo Boccaccino, 1501-1546; Cremona 1504/5-1546 Cremona.
The attribution to Crespi, il Cerano, was made by Giulio Bora.
Watermark: none visible through lining.
Boccaccino, Camillo, 1504-1546, Formerly attributed to.
Piancastelli, Giovanni, 1845-1926, former owner.
Brandegee, Edward, former owner.
Brandegee, Mary, former owner.
Scholz, János, former owner.
Oakland and elsewhere 1956, no. 4; Notre Dame 1964, no. 9; Milan 2005, 216.
The Life of Christ : Drawings from the János Scholz Collection : Italian Drawings from the 16th through the 18th Century. Notre Dame : University of Notre Dame Art Gallery, 1964, no. 9.