Pluto. 1680.
Pen and ink drawing in brown, over black chalk.
Signed and dated lower left, titled upper left, inscribed "Anno 1680, den 14 Januari, Hab ich Joachimus Sandrart, dieses Bild gerissen, meines Alters 11 Jahr." lower left, with the no. "33" in right centre. On laid paper (with watermark"HL"). 32,7 : 21 cm (12,8 : 8,2 in), size of sheet. This sheet is part of a series of depictions of gods, of which five further copies are in possession of the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin (Lit.: Zeichnungen Deutscher Meister im Kupferstichkabinett zu Berlin, Berlin 1921, p. 320, Cat. No. 8343-8347). The Berlin depiction of Neptune (op.cit., p. 320, Cat. No. 8345) was made on a paper with the same watermark "HL", this watermark can also be found on a further drawing by Sandrart in Berlin, depicting Lucretia, dated 1679 (op.cit., p. 320, Cat. No. 8348). The Berlin series of five gods is inscribed the same way as this sheet. The author of the Berlin catalogue identifies the inscriptions as "...15 Jahr", which does not match Sandrart's date of birth. In our opinion, the reading 11 Jahr seems to be possible as well if not even more obvious. Sandrart dies at the age of 23 in London. [HT]

PROVENIENZ: Private collection South Germany.

Good overall impression. Slightly discoloured and with insignificant brown stains. Margins partly irregularly trimmed. Right margin with barely visible split, skilfully restored. Margin padded with slim strip of Japon all the way round.