![American Collections — 0055 r [I. 9-12]](https://codex.venivididavinci.com/codices/usa-collection-drawings/highres/109_0055-r-I.-9-12.jpg)
Four grotesque profile heads (studies 9-12)
Caricature busts of aged and deformed figures in exaggerated headgear
A plate assembling four small grotesque head studies, numbered 9 through 12 at their upper corners. Each is a bust seen nearly in profile, with exaggerated features - jutting jaws, hooked or bulbous noses, toothless or gaping mouths - and several wear soft caps, hoods, or bulging turban-like headdresses. The drawings belong to the tradition of caricature 'teste grottesche' and study extremes of facial deformity and expression. No accompanying text is transcribed for this sheet.
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Emaciated old man in profile (study 9)
A gaunt, balding old man faces left, his sharp pointed nose and sunken cheeks framed by curling hair and a wispy beard at the back of the head. The bust is lightly drawn, trailing off into an unfinished shoulder.
Gaping grotesque in soft cap (study 10)
A head faces right beneath a broad drooping cap or turban, its mouth wide open and its chin thrust forward. Loose folds of the headdress fall behind the neck onto the shoulder.
Hooded man with protruding lips (study 11)
A profile facing left shows an aged man in a soft hood or coif, with a downturned protruding mouth and heavy jaw. Stubble is indicated along the cheek and the shoulders are only sketched.
Grotesque in tall coiled headdress (study 12)
A head faces right wearing an elaborate coiled and topknotted headdress with a hanging lappet. The open mouth reveals teeth and the profile is strongly caricatured with a jutting brow and jaw.