Circle of Nicolas Poussin (Les Andelys 1594-1665 Rome)

Likely taken from ancient history, this dramatic scene is the work of a close associate of Poussin, as shown in the characteristically dry technique and the adoption of some elements taken from the master's lexicon, both the slender figures and the piece of Classical ornament outlined with ink and brush at left. The tight pen style resembles the graphic work of two contemporaries of Poussin, Nicolas Chaperon and Jean Lemaire, whose Pyramus and Thisbe in Besançon constitute a close comparison to the present drawing (L.-A. Prat, Le dessin français au XVIIe siècle, Paris, 2013, fig. 192). The pricing in ducati lower right links the drawing to an early Neapolitan provenance.