Lot Essay
Giuseppe Piattoli was Drawing Master at the Florence Academy from 1785-1807, and an official artist at the Tuscan Grand Ducal court. Piattoli is best known as a designer of prints, including two series of Tuscan Proverbi published in 1786 and 1788, for which the preparatory drawings were offered in these Rooms, 2 July 1991, lots 288-289. Five drawings associated with the same series were sold at Christie's Paris, 21 March 2002, lot 92. In addition to genre scenes (see for example lot 49 in the present sale) Piattoli was active as a draughtsman of battle and mythological subjects (U. Ruggieri, 'Drawings by Giuseppe Piattoli', Master Drawings, XVI (1978), pp. 414-418).