Artista che si firma “Messina” (?)

Pencil, charcoal and stump drawing on paper. Measurements: 29.7 x 22.2 cm. In the lower right is the inscription "Messina", and the date (?) "930"; both emerged from under the lower side of the frame, from which they were covered (photo 3). The history of the work is not known, as it comes from an auction; an attribution hypothesis to Francesco Messina (Linguaglossa 1900 - Milan 1995) can find support in stylistic considerations (the decisive sign of the contours, the soft nuances of the volumes) and also a certain resemblance to the physiognomy of his mother, known for a head sculpted by the artist in 1931. Conservation: some abrasion and a crease that crosses the date. Provenance: Babuino Auction House, auction no. 214/2021, lot 502.