Portrait Head of a Man in a Close Coif
Black chalk head study; a later cartouche identifies the sitter as a Sforza
A man's head and shoulders are drawn in three-quarter view in soft black chalk, the sitter wearing a close-fitting coif or cap that frames the face and falls toward the shoulders. The features are gently modelled, with the level eyes and long straight nose given careful attention. Below the drawing, inside a ruled cartouche, a later inked inscription identifies the sitter as a member of the Sforza family and credits the sheet to Leonardo da Vinci; that inscription is a collector's addition and is not transcribed here.
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Head of a man in a close coif
The sitter is shown to just below the shoulders, the head turned slightly and the gaze level. A close cap or coif covers the hair and falls in soft folds beside the cheeks. The modelling of brow, eyes and mouth is built up in fine chalk over a lightly rubbed ground.