Head of a Bearded Man
Medium
Black chalk, heightened with white, on greenish blue paper.
Dimensions
10 5/16 x 7 7/8 in. (26.2 x 20 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.544
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of 16th-century Venetian art, Paolo Veronese (8–1588), a master of the late Renaissance and early Mannerist styles, created dynamic compositions filled with grandeur and luminous color. This drawing, *Head of a Bearded* (ca. 1565), attributed to Veronese or his workshop, exemplifies his preparatory sketches. Rendered in black chalk heightened with white on greenish-blue paper, it measures a modest 10 5/16 x 7 7/8 inches, yet captures profound character in profile. Veronese's technique here showcases his skill in chiaroscuro—using dark chalk for shadows and white highlight...