Artwork
Two Grotesque Heads
Two Grotesque Heads is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist Francesco Melzi. It dates from 1514 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Two Grotesque Heads is a drawing created by Francesco Melzi around 1514 using pen and brown ink. The work showcases Melzi's skill in capturing expressive figures through quick, rough lines.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts two caricature-like faces, one with a beard and high collar, the other holding a flower near its mouth. The artist's focus on wrinkles and unusual expressions gives the faces a humorous quality, reflecting a practice used to loosen up drawing skills for more realistic portraits.
Technique & Style
The drawing features rapid, sketchy lines and varying ink density, with darker areas achieved through cross-hatching, a technique that builds shadows using layered lines. The yellowish tint of the paper adds to the overall effect.
History & Provenance
Melzi, a pupil and assistant to Leonardo da Vinci, was heavily influenced by his mentor's style. After Leonardo's death in 1519, Melzi inherited and organized his notes, later compiling them into the Codex Urbinas, a precursor to the Trattato della Pittura.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Melzi, or Francesco de Melzi (1491 – 1570) was an Italian painter born into a family of the Milanese nobility in Lombardy.
