Pen in brown ink over black chalk. Sheet size: 21.5 x 16.5 cm. Verso figure studies for a fresco. Inscribed by the artist's hand: Historia historiae.

Winck was among the most successful and patronised fresco painters active in Southern Germany during the second half of the eighteenth century. He also left a considerable graphic oeuvre, of which examples are extant in various collections of prints and drawings. His drawings have been described and illustrated in collection catalogues but, apart from a thorough dissertation by Heide Clementschitsch from 1968 (see: Clementschitsch), no other detailed study has been dedicated to this artist.

His drawing style is relatively uniform; almost without exception he employed the pen and brown ink over black chalk of our drawing. Winck also often inscribed his drawings. The loose, partly distracted pen mark is characteristic, as are the often repeated architectural elements: urns, pyramids, ruined walls, socles and portals tend to frame his scenery.

The majority of extant drawings can be found in the Graphische Sammlung in Munich, others are at the Albertina in Vienna (Albertina, cat. nos. 1207-11 with ills.), in Stuttgart (Pannewitz, cat. no. 78 with ill.), Nuremberg (Heffels, cat. nos. 339-352 with ills.) and Augsburg. (Biedermann, cat. no. 195 with ill.)

In addition to his religious frescoes, Thomas Christian Winck also left a considerable number of cabinet paintings, to one or several of which our drawing is probably connected.