Head of an Old Man in Three-Quarter View
Red-chalk character study of a jowled, curly-haired man
A red-chalk study of the head of an elderly man turned in three-quarter view to the right, with thick curly hair, a furrowed brow, heavy jowls and a down-turned mouth. The forceful, deeply modelled features make this an expressive physiognomic head rather than a formal portrait. An old inventory number and the collection's oval stamp are visible near the corners; no notebook text accompanies the drawing.
On this page
Expressive head of an elderly man
The face is built up in dense red chalk, with strong shadows beneath the brow, in the cheeks and under the jaw. A curling mass of hair frames the lined, scowling features, giving the head a marked character typical of Leonardo's studies of age and expression.