Fra SEMPLICE DA VERONA (c.1589-1654) 1 - Kneeling Franciscan with arms outstretched; study of the left hand. Black stone, blurring, red chalk and white highlights on bluish paper. On the reverse, on the right edge, two small pieces of reinforcing paper. At the top right, a trace of an old inscription in pen and brown ink Maximo; At the left, a red chalk number D 417 (?); 2 - On the reverse: Kneeling Franciscan with arms outstretched and study of the hand. Black stone, blurred ink, red chalk and white highlights on bluish paper. In the lower left-hand corner an old annotation in pen and ink maximo; in the upper right-hand corner in red chalk Maximo Stanzione; underneath numbered D 418. 35.5 x 28 cm. Stains. The old inscriptions in pen and red chalk refer to the Neapolitan painter Maximo Stanzione (c.1585-1656). Provenance: Collection of Giuseppe Vallardi (1784-1863), dealer in prints and drawings; artistic adviser to the Ambrosian Library in Milan and honorary curator of the Archinto cabinet in the same city (see Lugt, Collector's Marks, no. 1223 for biographical information - 1921/1975).