Caricatures by Leonardo da Vinci from Drawings by Wenceslaus Hollar out of the Portland Museum
Original title: Characaturas by Leonardo da Vinci from Drawings by Wincelslaus (sic) Hollar out of the/ Portland Museum, published as the act directs Nov. 1. 1786 by/ John Clarke. N. 291 Strand, Price 15 in Boards
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike related prints that show single heads, this etching brings together four male head profiles in a square arrangement, regarded as caricatures after Leonardo da Vinci. John Clarke published the print in London in 1786; its source was an etching by Wenceslaus Hollar. Kept in black and white, it brings the individual features of each face to the fore.
Description
Four head profiles each sit within a plain frame, every man with his own facial expression and hairstyle. Thin, precise lines draw the contours; a white ground carries the black lines that define features and shading. Light seems to fall evenly from the front, bringing out the outlines of the profiles. The overall impression is detailed and carefully executed, like a drawing or etching from the Renaissance.
Context
The Bohemian printmaker Wenceslaus Hollar, active in the 17th century, etched the heads after drawings then attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. In 1786 John Clarke published them in London as part of a series based on the collection of the Portland Museum. Caricatures of this kind were highly popular in the 18th century because they brought Leonardo's supposed physiognomic studies to a wider public. Whether the attribution to Leonardo is correct is now considered disputed, since many of these sheets are not by him.
Impact
The clear arrangement and precise lines give the print a calm, almost scientific note. Comedy arises from the exaggerated features of the profiles, subtle enough to prompt a smile without tipping into the grotesque. Because the four heads are evenly distributed, a symmetrical balance results that guides the eye pleasantly.
Technique
The etching was printed with fine, even lines on paper, as was characteristic of Hollar's working method. The format remains plain yet elegant: the heads appear in a grid arrangement. Thanks to the etching technique, the details of the facial features could be reproduced precisely.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)