The work is a study, drawn in ink, which acted as a preparatory draft for a greater sized piece, depicting a mourning woman: "L'Addolorata".

A Sotheby expert, Julian Stock, who discovered it during the library inventory of Howard Castle, Yorkshire, found the drawing.

Last year the "National Gallery" in Edinburgh tried to buy it but couldn’t get together the necessary funds. The one who obtained it in the end was a very well known London art merchant: Mr Colnaghy.