GIOVANNI FRANCESCO MARIA MAZZOLA, IL PARMIGIANINO (AFTER)

(Parma 1503-1540 Casalmaggiore) The Virgin and Child with Saint Stephen and Saint John the Baptist and a Donor. Pen and brown ink and gray wash on thin cream laid paper. 160x102 mm; 6x4 inches. Inscribed "fait le 4 avril 1723" in ink, lower left recto. Formerly attributed to Antoine Dieu (circa 1662-1727), the current work is in fact a copy after a lost drawing by Parmigianino. It represents a rejected idea for the same titled painting now at Dresden, for which 4 directly related autograph studies are known.