![American Collections — 0055 r [I. 21-24]](https://codex.venivididavinci.com/codices/usa-collection-drawings/highres/112_0055-r-I.-21-24.jpg)
Four grotesque profile heads (studies 21-24)
Caricature busts with gaping mouths and ape-like jaws
A plate of four grotesque head studies numbered 21 to 24, each a caricatured bust seen in profile. The heads range from a bald open-mouthed man to an ape-like face in a cap and a wrinkled head in an elaborate headdress, all with strongly exaggerated jaws and noses. The sheet continues the 'teste grottesche' series of physiognomic caricatures. No accompanying text is transcribed for this sheet.
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Bald man with gaping mouth (study 21)
A bald profile faces left, mouth wide open to show teeth and the throat straining. A soft hood or collar drapes the shoulders below the sinewy neck.
Curly-haired man in fur collar (study 22)
A profile faces right with short curling hair and heavy, sagging features, the thick lips and nose pressed forward. A bushy fur collar bunches at the shoulders.
Ape-like head in cap over coif (study 23)
A heavy, simian profile faces left, its low brow, flat nose, and protruding lips beneath a cap worn over a close coif. The striped garment is drawn down to the shoulder.
Wrinkled head in coiled headdress (study 24)
A deeply wrinkled profile faces right beneath a large coiled headdress with a hanging tie. The jutting jaw and hooked nose are sharply caricatured above a banded collar.