Head of Bearded Man (recto); Head of a Girl (verso)
Medium
Red and black chalk (recto); red and black chalk, with pen and gray-brown ink (verso)
Dimensions
5 3/4 x 4 7/16 in. (14.6 x 11.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1906
Accession Number
06.1051.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate double-sided drawing from the early 16th century captures the refined draftsmanship of Parmigianino, a leading figure of the Mannerist movement. Created between 1503 and 1540, the recto presents a bearded man’s head rendered in red and black chalk, while the verso features a young girl’s head in the same medium, enhanced with pen and gray-brown ink. At just 5 ¾ by 4 7/16 inches, the sheet exemplifies the intimate scale often used for preparatory studies, allowing artists to explore facial expressions, lighting, and character with remarkable sensitivity. Parmigianino’s innovative...
About the Artist
Parmigianino (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola)|Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli · 1503–1540
Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, known as Parmigianino, was born on January 11, 1503, in Parma, into a family of artists. The eighth child of painter Filippo Mazzola and Donatella Abbati, he lost his father to the plague at age two and was raised by his uncles, Michele and Pier Ilario Mazzola, modestly talented painters who taught him the techniques of the craft. By his late teens, Parmigianino d...