A Rediscovered Drawing by Palma il Giovane

We are pleased to present this remarkably vigorous sheet of studies by Jacopo Negretti, called Palma il Giovane (Venice, c. 1548–1628), one of the leading Venetian draughtsmen of the late sixteenth century.

Executed in pen and brown ink, washes and white heightening on prepared paper, the drawing brings together a striking succession of male heads, culminating in the monumental profile of an elderly bearded man. The freedom of the pen, the dense parallel hatching and the highly calligraphic treatment of hair and beards find compelling parallels in securely attributed drawings by Palma, most notably the celebrated Three Heads of Old Men in Profile in the Louvre.

Of particular interest is the old inscription “Palma 17.” on the mount. Far from being isolated, this form of attribution and numbering can be compared with other sheets historically catalogued under Palma’s name, including a drawing inscribed “Palma 44.”, formerly in the collections of Paul Sandby and Michael Jaffé. The inscription therefore opens an intriguing avenue into the early collecting history of the sheet.

Probably executed during the 1590s, the drawing appears to have functioned as an independent working or repertory sheet, a remarkably immediate record of Palma’s search for expressive physiognomies, dramatic lighting and character.