Head of Saint Francis

before c. 1632

Guido Reni

Associated Names
Guido Reni

Artist, Bolognese, 1575 - 1642

The image shows a drawing of a person's upper body in a side profile view. The person's head is slightly tilted upwards, with detailed facial features including pronounced cheekbones and a strong jawline. The person has short, neat hair and what appears to be the start of a beard or facial hair. The drawing does not depict any clothing color variations but appears to show a collar. The person is not wearing any jewelry or holding any objects. The background is plain and unembellished.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black, red and white chalk on blue laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall (approximate): 24.3 x 21.5 cm (9 9/16 x 8 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1972.5.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

J. Richardson, Sr. (Lugt 2184); John Bouverie (died 1750; the Bouverie mark, Lugt 325, was probably applied at the time of the 1859 sale, below); his nephew, Mr. Christopher Hervery (d. 1786); his aunt, Elizabeth Bouverie (d. 1798); by inheritance to Sir Charles Middleton (1726-1813); by descent to his grandson, Charles Noel (1781-1866), who was created 1st Earl of Gainsborough in 1841 (sale, Christie's, London, 20 July 1859, lot 134); purchased by Allen, but remained in the possession of, or was acquired back by, the Earl; by descent within the family (sale, Christie's, London, 23 November 1971, no. 112); NGA purchase (via Yvonne Tan Bunzl, London) in 1972.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1925

  • Exhibition of Italian Art of the Seventeenth Century. Burlington Fine Arts Club, London, 1925, 46, no. 2.

1974

  • NGA Recent Acquisitions 1974, no. 30.

1981

  • Guido Reni: Zeichnungen, Albertina, Vienna, 1981, no. 105.

1982

  • Bolognese Drawings in North American Collections, 1500-1800, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, no. 38 (Catherine Johnston and Mimi Cazort).

2018

  • Heavenly Earth: Images of Saint Francis at La Verna, NGA, 2018.

Bibliography

1937

  • Kurz, Otto. "Guido Reni." Jahrbuch der Kusnthistorischen Sammlungen in Wien 11 (1937): 218.

1955

  • Kurz, Otto. Bolognese Drawings of the XVII & XVIII Centuries in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle. London, 1955 (and reprinted Bologna, 1988): 120, under no. 354.

Inscriptions

in later hand, lower left verso in brown ink: Guido Reni

Wikidata ID

Q64572779

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