Figure study of The Baptism of Christ (1647) after Nicolas Poussin’s second series of The Seven Sacraments (1644-48) painted for Paul Freart de Chantelou. The original painting currently resides in the National Gallery of Scotland. Verso bears landscape sketch and pencil inscription: “The whole of the atmosphere a warm [sobory?] tint, the shadow parts of the clouds very faint, the lights warm made of yellow & red with white. The upper cloud darker.” In fine condition aside from soft crease through upper right corner.
Vanderlyn often relied on his portraits and copies of master paintings to survive financially. This drawing was probably executed during one of Vanderlyn’s three long periods of painting and drawing in Paris and Europe: 1796-1801; 1803-1815; 1836-1846.
Exhibited/Published: “Americans Drawings, Pastels, and Watercolors, Part One: Works of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries,” Kennedy Galleries Inc., March 14th to April 28th, 1967. No. 111 in accompanying exhibition catalogue (illus. p 68); and “The Works of John Vanderlyn: From Tammany to the Capitol”, University Art Gallery, State University of New York at Binghamton, October 11 – November 9, 1970, No. 11 in accompanying exhibition catalogue by Kenneth C. Lindsay (no illus.).
Two labels from Kennedy Galleries affixed verso. First label inscribed: “John Vanderlyn – 1775-1852 / Study for Baptism / 8.3, 11.0 – Charcoal on paper/ Number 13431 / Neg. 3769 / Kennedy Galleries, Inc. / 40 W. 57th St., 5th Floor, N.Y. 10019-4044”; Second label bears additional catalogue information: “#111 Amer Dwgs Pastels & Wcs Part I p 68”.
Provenance: John Vanderlyn to (1852) his niece, Catherine Vanderlyn (1825-1892); to Judge A. Schoonmaker; to his daughter, Lizzy Rioggen (Mrs. William) Laughton; to Mr. Fred Johnston (c. 1963); to Kennedy Galleries; to Childs Gallery.
