Workshop Of Pietro Da Cortona, Probably Ciro Ferri (1634 – 1689)

Workshop of Pietro da Cortona, probably Ciro Ferri
(Rome 1634 – Florence 1689)

The Flagellation of Saint Bibiana, c. 1645?1655
Black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash heightened with white gouache on two joined sheets of paper
40.5 × 42 cm

Subject
Saint Bibiana, a Roman virgin, is bound to a column and scourged by two executioners while Roman magistrates look on. An angel descends from heaven holding the martyr’s crown and palm.

Attribution and Purpose of the Drawing
Workshop of Pietro da Cortona – the composition closely follows Cortona’s fresco The Flagellation of Saint Bibiana in Santa Bibiana, Rome (1624?1626).

Probably Ciro Ferri – the warm brown wash, abundant white heightening and square format obtained by joining two sheets are typical of Ferri’s large presentation modelli made for display or for printmakers.

Likely function – a large modello shown to a patron or used as a cartoon for an engraving; its dimensions match the plate etched by Robert van Audenaerde (before 1699).

Provenance
– Estate of James?Isidor Kaiser, Copenhagen?Hamburg
– Private collection, France

Bibliography and Comparative Works
– P. da Cortona, fresco Flagellatio S. Bibianae, Santa Bibiana, Rome (1624?26): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Bibiana
– C. Ferri, The Martyrdom of St. Bibiana, drawing, Princeton University Art Museum: https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/5387
– R. van Audenaerde after Cortona, engraving Martyrdom of St. Bibiana, The Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/693942
– ICCD, catalogue no. 0300047327: https://catalogo.cultura.gov.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0300047327
– J. M. Merz, Ciro Ferri and the Roman Baroque, Milan 2013, pp. 148?151.

A spectacular sheet, remarkable for its size and opulent white highlights, exemplifying the post?fresco dissemination of Cortona’s invention through the virtuoso hand of Ciro Ferri.