Yvonne Tan Bunzl, Old Master Drawings, 1984, cat. no. 4 (as Moretto)

Laid down and generally in good condition. Slight surface dirt.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The attribution to Moretto was first proposed in 1984 by Philip Pouncey. Moretto's drawings are extremely rare and this is not connected with a known composition by him, but the style and the composition itself are both strongly reminiscent of his painted work.  It is also stylistically close to a study of the Supper at Emmaus in the Statens Museum, Copenhagen which is related to Moretto's painting of circa 1526 in the Pinacoteca Civica, Brescia.¹  The artist has succeeded, even in profile, in giving individual expressions to the Madonna and Saint Anne and in putting motion and a touch of reality in the composition through the figure of the Christ Child who steps forward with open arms towards Stಌ. Anne.

1. See Pier Virgilio Begni Redona, Alessandro Bonvicino, Il Moretto da Brescia, Brescia 1988, p. 194 reproduced