Four grotesque heads in profile to left
Original title: Four grotesque heads in profile to left
kurzbeschreibung
Wenceslaus Hollar etched Vier groteske Köpfe im Profil nach links between 1644 and 1652. The print shows four grotesque heads in left profile, known in a single state. The sheet measures just 6.5 × 4.4 cm.
Description
The heads are stacked one above the other, the topmost set farthest left, the bottom one farthest right. Curls, beards and differing expressions give each face its own character. Fine lines and hatching bring out the details; there is no colour at all, the image remains black and white, the light appears even, with hardly any shadow. A signature runs along the bottom.
Context
Hollar, a graphic artist from Bohemia, became known for his precisely worked etchings. This sheet belongs to the mid-17th century, a period when the grotesque found wide favour in art. Similar motifs recur frequently in his work, often after Italian models.
Impact
What the small format gains in precision shows in the clear linework and the sharply defined grotesque faces. The staggering from top to bottom and the pronounced features hold the gaze. Despite its few centimetres, the sheet feels surprisingly present.
Technique
Hollar worked with etching: the drawing is scratched into an acid-resistant layer on a metal plate and then etched. With thin lines and hatching he built up details and gradations. Only this one state of the print is known.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)