Luigi Garzi (1638 – 1721) - Hercules and Omphale drawing

Artist: Possibly - Luigi Garzi (1638 – 1721)
Title: Hercules and Omphale
Medium: sanguine pencil drawing
Size: 155 x 160mm, mounted on to 280 x 220mm paper
Signed: no
Notes: Garzi did a ‘Hercules and Omphale’ painting in c.1700, in which Omphale is lying back holding Hercules’ club and wearing his fur, whilst Hercules uses a tambourine instead of the wool winder. Same number of other ladies too. Similar architecture, columns, drapes, cherubs and floor tiles, but the image is kind of in reverse.
Other drawings similar in style include: ‘St John the Baptist’ at the Morgan Lib & Museum, and the ‘Pope Sylvester showing a portrait of St Peter and Paul to the Emperor Constantine seated on a dais, with guards and onlookers’ at the British Museum.
Provenance: part of a portfolio of very old drawings and prints, and sold in various lots.
On the back of the drawing is a print: Adamo Scultori’s engraving, “Male Nude Seated on a Pedestal Flanking ‘The Sacrifice of Noah'”, after Michelangelo, c1585.