Auction introduction: This January’s sale of Old Master Drawings in New York includes an exceptional array of works on paper, led by an extremely rare figure study by the young Anthony van Dyck for his early masterpiece The Healing of the Paralytic, executed circa 1617-20. As ever the sale is rich in Italian drawings with fine sheets by Giulio Romano, including an Allegory of Abundance, as well as two further drawings by the artist relating to his celebrated decoration of the Palazzo Te in Mantua. Francesco Guardi’s splendid depiction of Venice in the The Return of the Bucintoro from S. Nicolò di Lido is another major highlight of the sale and presents a unique opportunity to acquire one of the largest and most significant drawings to remain in private hands by the artist. British interests are represented by a wonderful watercolor of Lake Lucerne at Dusk, by Joseph Mallord William Turner which is accompanied by other delights including two highly atmospheric landscape drawings by Thomas Gainsborough and an imposing sheet by The Master of the Giants.