Description: Letter A (close to Briquet 1919: Venice 1503).
Inscribed at lower left in pen and brown ink: TICIAN (Antonio Santa Croce?). Numbered at lower centre: 1205.
This drawing was listed as by Tizian by Antonio Santa Croce, Crozat and Tessin and their attribution was accepted by Sirén in 1902. In 1917 however, Sirén suggested Romanino and this was subsequently supported by G. Nicodemi, W. Suida, F. Lechi & G. Panazzo, A. Morassi, F. Kossoff and F. Heinemann (the last two in personal communications). Paris Bordone has been proposed by L. Fröhlich-Bum, while the Tietzes opt somewhat hesitantly for Titian.

The attribution to Romanino by Sirén rested on the comparition with a drawing in the Uffizi, Florence, "which displays the same stylistic peculiarities". While arguing in favour of a link with Titian, the Tietzes also compare our drawing with another sheet, in Budapest, which they attribute to Romanino.

There are unquestionably major likenesses between our sheet and the Budapest drawing but a general comparision with Romanino´s drawn oeuvre fails to convince. Romanino has a characteristic way of drawing figures by adding the components: trunk, legs, arms, head; and in doing so he clearly loses the correct proportions between them. He also shades by means of parallel lines in groups as well as short, commalike strokes and dots. [...] [Bjurström, It. Drawings, cat. no. 120]

Titel (sv): En strid framför en borg
Titel (en): Battle in Front of a Castle
Titel i inventariet (sv): Krigsfolk vid foten av ett berg med en fästning
Titel (fr): Scène de bataill au pied d'un château