Madonna adoring the Christ Child

The drawing was sold at Christie's auction in 1974 as by Mariotto Albertinelli [1474-1515], but P Pouncey of Sotheby's attributed it to early Fra Bartolommeo, in his letter of 22nd May 1974 to Timothy Stevens. Although he said the suggestion of the Albertinelli attribution appears plausible, it would need quite a bit of time to check the point. He also said he sees [in the darawing] "a certain dependence on Raffaelino del Garbo and Filippino." The Madonna was originally not in profile, but in three quarter view. The same figure occurs, minus a head, in Uffizi and Staatliche Museen Preussicher Kulturbesitz in Berlin. All three drawings are closely connected to the early style of Fra Bartolommeo, when he was still influsenced by Piero di Cosimo. The verso "The Creation of Eve." is close in style to drawings for saint Peter in the Louvre Marriage of Saint Catherine which was signed and dated 1511. See WAG 8698.1 for the image of "The Creation of Eve."