Two Grotesque Heads

Anonymous, Netherlandish, 17th century Netherlandish
Formerly attributed to Wenceslaus Hollar Bohemian
After Leonardo da Vinci Italian

Not on view

Seemingly in an animated conversation, these figures alternately fascinate and repel us, while also begging 
us for empathy. The decrepit man wears a monk’s habit, and the ugly woman’s old-fashioned, eccentric costume seductively bares her bosom. This print, formerly attributed to Wenceslaus Hollar, was executed in a much larger scale than the original drawings of grotesque figures by Leonardo. In contrast, when making his copies, Hollar usually respected the scale of motifs in Leonardo’s drawings.

Two Grotesque Heads, Anonymous, Netherlandish, 17th century, Etching; only state

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