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Head of a Bearded Man

1360–80
Not on view
Few Medieval drawings survive. This very refined and unusually well-preserved study was probably created by an artist in the immediate circle of the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV (r. 1355-78) at Prague. The sheet was probably made as an exemplar in a modelbook rather than as a preliminary study for a specific work. The bearded man with an intent gaze and portraitlike presence evokes a biblical patriarch, prophet, or apostle. The meticulous artist delicately outlined the figure with a fine pen and added modelling with the tip of the brush. Although working on a relatively small scale, the artist achieved a stunningly sculptural conception of form.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of a Bearded Man
  • Artist: Anonymous, Bohemian, 14th century
  • Date: 1360–80
  • Medium: Pen and gray-brown ink, brush and gray-black and brown wash, traces of white gouache highlights
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 4 7/16 x 3 3/8 in. (11.3 x 8.5 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Gift of Dr. Mortimer D. Sackler, Theresa Sackler and Family, 2003
  • Object Number: 2003.29
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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