Italian School, early 19th Century

The mount of this drawing carries an attribution by Brian Sewell to 'Riepenhausen', possibly referring to the German draughtsman and engraver Johann Christian Riepenhausen (1788-1860). Stylistically, however, it seems to be closer to Roman artists active in the early 19th Century such as Pelagio Palagi (1775/7-1860) and Giovanni De Min (1786-1859) although a firm attribution to neither artist can be established. The drawing was most likely used for a print as the outlines are incised for transfer throughout the sheet.