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Head of an Old Woman

after 1610
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 639
Head studies such as this, in which the artist eschewed formal portraiture in favor of exploring character and expression, are some of the most accessible and seemingly modern paintings of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In this striking depiction of an old woman lit by a strong shaft of light, Borgianni has offered a meditation on aging and mortality. Borgianni was one of the most distinctive followers of Caravaggio, who was known for the kinds of naturalism and dramatic light effects seen here.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of an Old Woman
  • Artist: Orazio Borgianni (Italian, Rome 1578–1616 Rome)
  • Date: after 1610
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 20 7/8 x 15 3/8 in. (53 x 39 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Gwynne Andrews Fund and Marco Voena and Luigi Koelliker Gift, 2010
  • Object Number: 2010.289
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Saint Christopher with the Christ Child on his shoulders, Orazio Borgianni Italian, Etching
Saint Christopher with the Christ Child on his shoulders
Orazio Borgianni
ca. 1614–16
Wilton album, folio 62: The Lamentation over the Dead Christ
Orazio Borgianni
1615
Wilton album, folio 61: Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child acroos the river
Orazio Borgianni
1614–16
The Dead Christ
Orazio Borgianni
1615
Anointing of David
Orazio Borgianni
Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi)
1615

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