Boy Drinking

Description

Together with his brother Agostino and cousin Lodovico, Annibale Carracci introduced artistic reforms in Italy based on close observation of the natural world. Annibale’s innovative and highly influential style steered a path between the smooth artificiality of Mannerism––in which style and technique took precedence over fidelity to nature––and the heightened drama of paintings by Caravaggio. In this remarkable early work, the coarse surface of the canvas, the inelegant subject matter, and the striking distortion of forms from light passing through glass all speak to his naturalistic approach.

Provenance

Lord Bateman, Shobdon Court, Herfordshire, England; [Sale: The Property of the Rt. Hon. Lord Bateman, Christie's London, April 11, 1896, lot 145 as Velazquez] (April 11, 1986); John Hill Wood (1813-1869), Gatehead, Yorkshire, England, by inheritance to his son Sir John Wood 1st Bt. (1896-); Sir John Wood 1st Bt. (1857-1951), Hengrave Hall, Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk (-1951); [Sale: The Contents of Hengrave Hall, Knight, Frank and Rutley, London, September 15-25, 1952, lot 1686] (September 15-25, 1952); L. J. King, Esq., Dorchester, Dorset, by inheritance to his wife, Mrs. Mary King; Mrs. Mary King, Dorchester, Dorset, England (1952-1984); [Sale: Lawrence’s of Crewkerne, England] (1984); [Sale: Old master Drawings and 17th, 18th and 19th century Oil Paintings, Bonhams, London, July 11, 1985, lot 5] (July 11, 1985); [Harari and [Derek] Johns, London, England, sold to Peter Jay Sharp] (1985-); Peter Jay Sharp (1931-1992), New York, NY (-1992); [Sale: The Estate Of Peter Jay Sharp, Sotheby's New York, January 13, 1994, lot 70, to the Cleveland Museum of Art] (January 13, 1994); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1994-)

Boy Drinking

Annibale Carracci

1582–83

Accession Number

1994.4

Medium

oil on canvas

Dimensions

Framed: 79 x 67 x 5.5 cm (31 1/8 x 26 3/8 x 2 3/16 in.); Unframed: 55.8 x 43.7 cm (21 15/16 x 17 3/16 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund