Ecorche head of a man in profile to left
Original title: Ecorche head of a man in profile to left
kurzbeschreibung
Wenceslaus Hollar made this etching in 1660: a man's head in profile facing left, with the skin stripped away in places so that the muscles and the structure of the skull come through. The print survives in a single state and measures 7.9 × 5.7 cm.
Description
Seen from the side, the head shows the left half of the face laid anatomically bare, along with the exposed neck. Dense, fine hatching shapes the muscles, while the bones of the skull stand out clearly. A sparing background keeps attention fixed on the anatomical detail. At the upper left a signature names Leonardo da Vinci as the originator and William as the executor, together with the year 1660.
Context
Hollar was working in London in 1660, when this sheet was made. The model was a drawing attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, and the print shows how Renaissance anatomical studies were taken up again in the seventeenth century. Hollar was known as a master of faithful reproduction after older artists.
Impact
Clean draughtsmanship and a plain layout give the sheet a sober, almost scientific tone without any loss of aesthetic force. With no colour and an empty ground, the anatomical structure moves to the fore.
Technique
For this etching the lines were cut into an etched plate and then printed in black on white paper; fine hatching produces the shading. The sheet is trimmed almost to the plate mark.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)