Beskrivning: Se beskrivning i den engelska versionen.

Description: No watermark. Inscribed at lower centre in pen and brown ink: "Sebastien Ricci" (C.G. Tessin)

Verso: One half of frame: Red chalk (the other half on no. 216)
Inscribed verso: "Sebastiano Rizzi" (signature?)

Provenance: A.M. Zanetti? ; C.G. Tessin (Cat. 1749, livré 22, no. 19) ; M.G. Anckarsvärd ; A Michelson ; K. Michelson ; Acquired by the museum in 1896

The simple frame on the verso of this and the following sheet, half on each, indicates that the same paper was used for both. The drawings, moreover, have been executed as pendants. 

The motifs of this one is relatively common in Venetian 18th century art in designs that are highly reminiscent of the present version, examples being Sebastiano Ricci´s at Chatsworth and Giovanni Battista Pittoni´s in the Baltimore Museum of Art. The composition of the latter is so close to ours that in 1925 Laura Coggiola Pittoni ascribed the sheet to this artist, too. The composition derives from Veronese´s organ doors (outher surface) in Chiesa di San Sebastiano, Venice, but in the various 18th century versions the depth of the composition has been reduced and the figures are spread out as though on a narrow stage. 

This drawing was in all probability given to Tessin by Zanetti, which would support the former´s attribution. The style is closest to that of Ricci´s late work, after 1720, though it lacks something of his nervous spontanity in those years. It is also very like sheets in the group of drawings in Museo Correr that are listed under Gaspare Diziani´s name. In the period 1720-34 this artist was heavily dependent on Ricci´s work. Cf. the next number [216 / NMH Anck 396]
[Bjurström, It. Drawings, cat. no. 215]

Frambärandet i templet