Bust of a deformed woman with conical hat and two dangling plaits in profile to left
Original title: Bust of a deformed woman with conical hat and two dangling plaits in profile to left
kurzbeschreibung
A woman in profile facing left, her head under a conical hat, two braids hanging down: this is Wenceslaus Hollar's 1665 etching of a deformed woman. The sheet survives as the only state of the print.
Description
Her face is turned to the left and heavily distorted, with a large nose, broad cheeks and a wide mouth. The conical hat sits unevenly, as though made of cloth or woven stuff, and the two braids fall irregularly as well. One shoulder is visible, a plain garment dropping over an arm. The background stays bare, and at the upper left an inscription refers to Leonardo da Vinci and W. Holler.
Context
Hollar made the etching in 1665, during his years in London. As the inscription suggests, it probably goes back to a model by Leonardo da Vinci. Hollar was known for reproductive prints after older masters, and this sheet belongs to a series of studies examining physiognomic peculiarities.
Impact
The extreme distortion of the face and the irregular details provoke both unease and fascination. With the background left empty, all attention falls on the bust, which throws the anomaly into relief. The precise linework gives the portrait a documentary air.
Technique
The etching exists in a single state. Etching allows fine, detailed lines, and these capture the facial features and the texture of the hat exactly. The small format of 6.6 × 4.8 cm demands careful work with the needle on the etched plate.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)