Four Heads (from Characaturas by Leonardo da Vinci, from Drawings by Wincelslaus Hollar, out of the Portland Museum) (1786, Met-Objekt 5566)
Original title: Four Heads (from Characaturas by Leonardo da Vinci, from Drawings by Wincelslaus Hollar, out of the Portland Museum)
kurzbeschreibung
This sheet, titled Vier Köpfe (Four Heads), brings together four individually framed profile portraits. Wenceslaus Hollar made it in 1786 as part of a series based on drawings by Leonardo da Vinci from the Portland Museum. The etching uses fine contours and hatching in black and white.
Description
Four separate head studies in profile are spaced across the sheet in a square arrangement, each enclosed in its own frame. At upper left is a head with some kind of head covering; at upper right, one with a cap. Lower left shows a hairstyle that recalls a braid, while lower right has long hair. The drawing confines itself to white areas and black lines, with hatching supplying texture. Light falls evenly, and there are no cast shadows.
Context
The etching appeared in 1786 as part of a series in which Wenceslaus Hollar reproduced drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. Hollar, a Bohemian printmaker of the seventeenth century, was known for his detailed prints; this publication came after his death. The source drawings belonged to the Portland Museum, an important collection of Leonardo drawings. The title adopts the term Characaturas, then in use for characteristic head studies.
Impact
Clear, precise lines define the sheet and bring out the individual features of the four heads. The even arrangement and calm lighting create a sober, almost scientific mood. Standing before the etching, viewers are prompted to compare the physiognomies closely.
Technique
The work was made as an etching, an intaglio process in which the drawing is bitten into a metal plate. Fine hatching and contours match Hollar's working method, which relies on precise line. The plate measures 19.5 x 16 cm; the sheet measures 20 x 16.7 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)