Artwork
Two Studies of an Elderly Man's Head
Two Studies of an Elderly Man's Head is an ink drawing by the Baroque artist Paulus Pontius. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1630, this drawing by Paulus Pontius presents two side‑by‑side studies of an elderly male head. Executed in pen and brown ink with a brown wash on laid paper, the work’s reverse side is darkened, indicating it was prepared for a transfer. The sketches capture the sitter’s facial features and beard in a brief, gestural manner.
Subject & Meaning
Both studies focus on an aged man's visage, emphasizing the texture of his beard and the lines of his face. The loose, wavering strokes convey the natural irregularities of wrinkles and hair, suggesting an interest in rendering the physicality of age rather than a specific individual portrait.
Technique & Style
Pontius employs a combination of pen line work and a subtle brown wash to model form. Overlapping, rapid strokes build the volume of the beard, while cross‑hatching suggests shadow. The laid paper’s texture and the darkened verso hint at a preparatory drawing intended for later transfer onto a larger composition.
History & Provenance
Paulus Pontius, a Flemish engraver linked to Peter Paul Rubens’s workshop, produced this drawing during his early career in Antwerp. His collaborations with contemporaries such as Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens place the work within the artistic network of the early 17th‑century Southern Netherlands. The paper’s yellowed patina reflects its age and storage.
Context
The drawing aligns with the period’s practice of creating quick studies to resolve facial anatomy before committing to a finished painting or engraving.
The drawing aligns with the period’s practice of creating quick studies to resolve facial anatomy before committing to a finished painting or engraving. Such preparatory sketches were common in Rubens’s workshop, where artists refined gestures, light, and texture. Pontius’s focus on the elderly figure may have served as a study for a larger narrative composition dealing with themes of age or wisdom.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paulus Pontius (27 May 1603 – 16 January 1658) was a Flemish engraver and painter.
![Sheet of Studies [recto], by Leonardo da Vinci](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/leonardo-da-vinci--sheet-of-studies-recto--1bdf3f81c9affbae-w320.webp)
![Study of a Man's Head [recto], by Alphonse Legros](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/alphonse-legros--study-of-a-man-s-head-recto--745204b66df421ed-w320.webp)