Two Deformed Heads Facing Inwards (ca. 1645, Met-Objekt 5584)
Original title: Two Deformed Heads Facing Inwards
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1645, Wenceslaus Hollar made this etching of two deformed heads turned toward each other. It was based on a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci. The print is in black and white with fine hatching, measures 8.9 × 13.2 cm, and belongs to Hollar's series of caricatures after Leonardo.
Description
Two stylized, misshapen heads face each other in the print. The left head wears a striped cap, while the right one has a striking, almost spherical structure. Their facing poses suggest an interaction. Contours and textures arise mainly from black-and-white hatching; a hatched background sets off the figures, and at the top a text refers to Leonardo da Vinci and Wenceslaus Hollar.
Context
The print is based on a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci in which deformed heads appear as physiognomic studies. Caricatures of this kind were common in the Renaissance and Baroque to make human traits visible through exaggerated facial features. Hollar, a Bohemian engraver, worked in England in the mid-17th century and often reproduced works by Italian masters. The small format suggests it served as a collector's print or book illustration.
Impact
Exaggerated proportions and dense hatching make the deformed heads both grotesque and appealing. From the symmetrical arrangement grows a tense balance between comedy and seriousness. Because color is absent, the eye is drawn to the details of the deformations.
Technique
In etching, lines are bitten into a metal plate and then printed on paper. With fine hatching, Hollar modeled shadows and textures. The precise linework demonstrates his high skill in engraving.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)