Gastine - Seated Urania, In Profile Towards The Left With Sphere, After The Primaticce

Black pencil Annotated in the right corner Bologna Small foxing throughout the sheet Stamp of the artist's studio CAG at the bottom right

Our study is inspired by a drawing by the hand of Primaticcio (Inv. 8553) preserved in the Cabinet of Graphic Arts of the Louvre and acquired by the King in 1617. This drawing has been identified as a study for one of the twelve figures on the spandrels of the arcades in the Lower gallery, composed of nine muses (Venus, Juno and Minerva) erected in front of the south facade of the Pavillon des Poêles in line with the wing and the lower courtyard of the abbey, also known as the Great Lower Court then the White Horse Court, disappeared in 1750 during construction, at its location, from the Gros Pavillon, to the Château de Fontainebleau.

Fig.1. Francesco Primaticcio (Bologna, 1503 – Paris, 1570), Urania, seated, in profile to the left, a sphere at her side, pen and brown ink, beige wash heightened with white. Tiled with black stone. Lower right corner cut according to the profile of the arc, 187 x 162 mm, Cabinet of Graphic Arts, Louvre Museum, Inv. 8553.