Grotesque Winged and Bearded Head Looking to the Left within a Circle
1727
Medium
Pen and brown ink
Dimensions
sheet: 12 7/8 x 8 1/2 in. (32.7 x 21.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of János Scholz, 1960
Accession Number
60.541.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection, Gaetano Piccini's *tesque Winged and Bearded Head Looking to Left within a Circle*1727) captivates with its fantastical vigor. Crafted in pen and brown ink on modest sheet measuring 12 7/8 x 8 1/2 inches, this work exemplifies the Italian artist's flair for grotesque figures—whimsical, monstrous heads blending human, animal, and mythical traits. The circular composition evokes ancient Roman medallions or Renaissance ornamental designs, framing the bearded, winged visage in a dynamic profile gaze. Piccini, active in early 18th...