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Jacques de Gheyn II (Dutch, 1565–1629). Study of Eleven Heads. Pen and three shades of brown ink with black chalk. Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, Rita and Frits Markus Fund, and Charles and Jessie Price Gift, 2006 (2006.101).
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Drawings and Prints from Holland's Golden Age: Highlights from the Collection
September 18, 2007–January 6, 2008
Robert Wood Johnson Jr. Gallery for Drawings and Prints, 2nd floor
This installation, which coincides with the special exhibition The Age of Rembrandt: Dutch Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, displays a selection of drawings and prints by artists active in Holland during the seventeenth century, chosen from the Museum's collection. The works include pieces by Rembrandt van Rijn, Jacob van Ruisdael, Albert Cuyp, Adriaen van Ostade, Willem Buytewech, and Jacques de Gheyn II.
The outstanding drawing shown above is a group of studies intended no doubt as part of a repertoire of figures and reference. It is one of the most significant and most intact of several such sheets composed by de Gheyn, who worked primarily as a printmaker and draftsman. The drawing combines images from life—such as the young man viewed from several angles—with images invented by the artist, such as the Medusa head and the two strange long-haired figures—possibly gypsies—in the center. The varied style of drawing and technical analysis of the inks used suggest that De Gheyn created this sheet during at least two, and possibly three, distinct periods.
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