George Le Hunte of Artramont, County Wexford,
thence by descent to the Misses M. H., L. E. and M. D. Le Hunte,
their sale and others, London, Sotheby's, 9 June 1955, lot 45 (as Workshop of Sandro Botticelli, purchased by Hewett, £ 300);
Miss A.J. Martin;
sale, London, Sotheby's, 26 June 1957, lot 10 (as Workshop of Sandro Botticelli, purchased by Tooth, £ 290);
with William Schab Gallery, New York, Master Drawings and Prints, 1960;  
Benjamin Sonnenberg, his sale New York, Sotheby's, 5-9 June 1979, lot 125 (as Circle of Botticelli, $26,000);
sale, New York, Sotheby's, 13 January 1988, lot 88 ($ 80,000);
Barbara Piasecka Johnson

Poughkeepsie, New York, Vassar College Art Gallery, and New York, Wildenstein and Co., Centennial Loan Exhibition, 1961, no.  2, reproduced;
Warsaw, The Royal Castle, Opus Sacrum from the Collection of Barbara Piasecka Johnson, 1990, pp. 94-97, note 14 (entry by K. Oberhuber), reproduced p. 95;
Warsaw, The Royal Castle, The Masters of Drawing, Drawings from the Barbara Piasecka Johnson Collection, 2010-11, pp. 38-39, reproduced p. 39

R. Lightbown, Sandro Botticelli, Life and Works, London 1978, vol. II, p. 138, under no. C42;
The Faringdon Collection, Buscot Park, 1990, p. 47, under no. 47;
Buscot Park, The Faringdon Collection, 2004, p. 63, under no. 47

SANDRO BOTTICELLI Study for a seated St Joseph, his head resting on his right hand Brown ink and white bodycolour on a buff ground Support This drawing is on a laid type paper of the period, which is fully adhered to another sheet of later paper of the same type. There is a very small edge loss to the foot to the left and a small stain upper left towards the corner. Otherwise the condition is good. Medium The condition of the medium is good but there is general rubbing to the white pigment with some losses. The ground is a little rubbed, particularly on the right side and there are some slight surface abrasions in places with a few losses to the pigment. On the lower corners there is some rubbing to the paper with some ink loss on the shoe on the right and also on the left ink lines. A small ink splash shows on the lower part of the cape. Sold mounted and framed in a old 16th or ealy 17th century Italian frame.
"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."

此幅素描作品是桑德羅·波提且利晚年為其1480年代末油畫作品《聖家庭與聖約翰》（現藏英國 Buscot Park）所畫的速寫稿，非常珍稀罕貴。畫面上可見為隨後轉移構圖參考用之方格，也透露出最終完成的油畫作品與此速寫間一些細微但不可忽視的區別，其對聖若瑟頭部姿勢作出的改動尤其重要，證明此作確實是一個初步的速寫稿，從中波提且利得以為善感的聖若瑟定下最恰當的造型。

作品中線條沉著穩重，衣紋與皺褶的塑造深刻立體，加上巧妙的白色高光處理，都是波提且利晚期素描的要素。

波提且利的藝術成就無需置疑，其留世的素描作品卻如鳳毛麟角。這位文藝復興時期佛羅倫薩巨匠的許多作品是意大利藝術史上當之無愧的經典，但除了一本但丁《神曲》的畫冊外，其現存的素描作品僅約12幅。而這次上拍的作品更是已知唯一一幅仍屬私人收藏的素描作品，也是僅有的一幅確定是為油畫作品準備的速寫稿，十九世紀以來市場上未見任何其他同類作品。