Drawings by Titian are exceedingly rare, and this splendid study is one of the very few sheets that can plausibly be attributed to him. Although it has been trimmed (the fragment at the upper left has been interpreted in various ways but surely represents the lower half of the head of a bearded man), the sketch is a fine example of Titian's powerful and evocative drawing style. The poetic treatment of the landscape reflects the influence of Giorgione; the sheet may therefore date from relatively early in the artist's career, perhaps about 1511.

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