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Francesco Mazzuoli, called II Parmigianino

Study of an Antique Head of Julius Caesar, ca. 1530–1535

Description

Maker

Title

Study of an Antique Head of Julius Caesar

Year

ca. 1530–1535

Medium

Pen and ink, brush and wash, and white heightening on laid paper

Materials/Techniques

Supports

Dimensions

8.6 x 7 cm (3 3/8 x 2 3/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

LL:"L. da Vinci"

Type

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

20.517

About

This small drawing is a fragment cut from a larger sheet of sketches. As the blank eyes and figure type of the head suggest, this study was made from an ancient bust or a plaster cast of one. The sculpture was most likely a portrait of the Roman general Julius Caesar (100–44 BCE), and the finely hatched penwork and deft use of wash are typical of Parmigianino’s draftsmanship. Like many Renaissance artists, Parmigianino studied and copied works of ancient art to inform his elegant compositions. As the old inscription shows, the drawing once was erroneously attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.

LL:"L. da Vinci"

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Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

From Dürer to Van Gogh

June 5 - October 26, 2008

Although inscribed by an early collector with the name of Leonardo da Vinci, this is in fact one of a group of drawings by the artist Parmigianino after a sculpted bust. The sparse hair, long furrowed neck, aquiline nose, cleft chin, and specific topography of the furrowed forehead identify the subject as the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. Parmigianino’s patterned cross-hatching and dappled application of wash create dramatic light effects that are also characteristic of the etchings and chiaroscuro woodcuts made after his drawings.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Study of an Antique Head of Julius Caesar with the accession number of 20.517. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.