Head of a Young Woman (Study for an Angel)
Metalpoint study of a girl's face, presumed for the angel of the 'Virgin of the Rocks'
A very delicate metalpoint drawing on prepared paper showing the head of a young woman turned three-quarters to her right, the eyes lowered and the features softly modelled. Loose curling hair frames the face and falls over the shoulder, and the neck and drapery of the bodice are indicated with light parallel hatching. The institution's catalogue records the sheet as a female face, presumed to be a study for the face of the angel in the 'Virgin of the Rocks', dated about 1478-1485; a small collector's stamp appears at the lower right.
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Face of a young woman, three-quarter view with lowered eyes
The girl's face is drawn with great tenderness, the rounded cheek and small mouth caught in a gentle, contemplative expression. The eyes are cast down and the head tilts slightly, giving the quiet mood associated with the angel of a devotional picture. Curls of hair spring from the temple and cascade down beside the neck.
Soft modelling in metalpoint for a painted head
The forms are worked up in fine, closely spaced hatching that turns light into shadow across the cheek, neck and shoulder, the technique of a study made toward a finished painting. The contours of hair and bodice are left as searching outlines, several times restated, showing the head being fixed for transfer to panel.