Bust of a woman looking downwards towards left with elaborately decorated hair
Original title: Bust of a woman looking downwards towards left with elaborately decorated hair
kurzbeschreibung
Wenceslaus Hollar made this etching in 1648 as part of his reproductive prints after older models. The sheet presents a woman in half-length, her gaze turned down and to the left, her hair elaborately arranged. It is an etching in its only state, the plate measuring 6.8 × 5.6 cm. What appears is a half-figure with intricately dressed hair and a gown whose collar carries a wavy ornament.
Description
A woman is shown in half-length, looking downward and slightly to the left. Braids and ribbons decorate her hair in a manner that reads as carefully contrived. Her dress features a striking wavy ornament along the collar. The ground behind her stays plain and white. At the upper left sits the inscription 'Leonardo da Vinci inv.', at the upper right 'W. Hollar fec. 1648'.
Context
Hollar produced this etching in 1648 while living in Antwerp. Its model was an invention of Leonardo da Vinci, as the inscription 'Leonardo da Vinci inv.' declares, pointing to a design from his circle. Hollar was known for reproductive prints after earlier masters. The small format suggests the sheet served as a collector's piece or a book illustration.
Impact
Her lowered gaze and the elaborate coiffure give the figure an air at once elegant and intimate. The etching's delicate linework yields a detailed, almost tender surface that draws the viewer in close. Since the ground is kept bare, attention settles entirely on the figure and its ornamental treatment.
Technique
The print is an etching, extant in its only state. The plate measures 6.8 × 5.6 cm, and the sheet shows thread margins. Etching allows fine, precise lines, which were used here to render the details of hair and fabric.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)