Bust of woman with protruding mouth wearing low-cut dress and cloth bound around her head, in profile to right
Original title: Bust of woman with protruding mouth wearing low-cut dress and cloth bound around her head, in profile to right
kurzbeschreibung
In 1660 Wenceslaus Hollar etched a bust-length portrait of a woman seen in profile to the right. She wears a low-cut dress and a cloth wrapped around her head. The print exists in only one state and measures 6.7 × 4.9 centimetres.
Description
Her profile to the right reveals a face with a markedly protruding mouth and an expression that verges on the grotesque. The dress is deeply cut, and a cloth covers her head and parts of her face. The layout is confined to head and upper body. Monochrome rendering builds light through lines and hatching. The style is realistic, yet the unusual features lend the view a surreal edge.
Context
Hollar made the etching in 1660, when he was working in London and producing numerous engravings and etchings. The model was apparently a sheet falsely attributed to Leonardo da Vinci; the inscription “Leonardo da Vinci mu- Wcollar fecit 1560” points to this. Hollar often made reproductions after older masters, and such attributions were not always correct. The small format suggests a series or a collector’s piece.
Impact
The unusual facial structure and the almost grotesque expression make the sheet unsettling and at the same time attractive. Precise linework and the clear profile give it a calm, detached elegance that invites close looking.
Technique
Hollar worked in etching, and only a single printed state survives. This technique allows fine, exact lines with which face and clothing are rendered in detail. The small plate size of 6.7 × 4.9 centimetres demanded careful work in miniature format.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)