A monk.

Drawing, black chalk, 33,5 x 19,9 cm, on blue-grey paper, unsigned (edges frayed, paper sl. worn, brown stains, old vertical fold line to the right side of the sheet, some prick holes in the upper and lower corners).

Under passe-partout.

A hooded monk praying in front of a tree while looking upwards to the left. Possibly a preparatory study for an unidentified painting representing St Francis. The vivid drawing style can be linked to similar drawings in black chalk by the Bolognese painter Cavedone (1577-1660), such as the "The Penitent Magdalene" in the collection of the British Museum (inv. 1946,0713.1502).
Ref. E. Negro and N. Roio, "Giacomo Cavedone 1577-1660", Modena, 1996.