![American Collections — 0055 r [II. 21-24]](https://codex.venivididavinci.com/codices/usa-collection-drawings/highres/123_0055-r-II.-21-24.jpg)
Grotesque Heads: Four Caricatured Busts (nos. 21-24)
Four aged and grotesque head studies mounted in a grid
Four separate head studies are set in a two-by-two grid, each numbered in ink in its upper corner (21, 22, 23, 24). The heads are grotesque caricatures of elderly sitters, several wearing distinctive hats, drawn as profile or three-quarter busts with heavily lined faces. Only the plate numerals accompany the drawings.
On this page
Grimacing old man (no. 21)
The upper-left panel shows a profile bust facing right of a nearly bald old man baring his remaining teeth in a grimace. His jutting chin and puckered mouth sit above drapery knotted at the chest.
Heavy man in a plumed hat (no. 22)
The upper-right panel is a three-quarter bust facing right of a thickset man wearing a large soft hat with a rosette or brooch and a broad brim. His flattened, coarse features and bare chest give him a brutish appearance.
Hooded profile with sharp nose (no. 23)
The lower-left panel shows a profile bust facing left of an aged figure in a close-fitting hood or coif. The face is reduced to a sharply pointed nose and jutting chin between deep folds of skin.
Curly-haired man in a tunic (no. 24)
The lower-right panel is a three-quarter bust facing right of an older man with short curly hair and a tight-lipped mouth, wearing a simple tunic. The drawing is lighter and more sketchy than the other three heads.