SEBASTIANO RICCI (BELLUNO 1659-VENICE 1734)
The head of Simon the Pharisee
c.1728-30RCIN 907134
A preparatory study for the figure in Sebastiano’s painting of the Magdalen anointing Christ’s feet, where Simon looks on in disbelief as Christ allows himself to be anointed by a prostitute. Sebastiano’s expressive use of chalks followed the example of earlier artists such as Jacopo Bassano (c.1510–1592) and Federico Zuccaro (c.1542–1609).