Skull in Profile
ca. 1538
Medium
Pen and brown ink
Dimensions
3 7/8 x 2 11/16 in. (9.9 x 6.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.326
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Skull in Profile** by Battista Franco, created around 1538, is a meticulous pen and brown ink drawing measuring just 3 7/8 x 2 11/16 inches. Housed in the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this intimate study captures the stark contours of a human skull in precise profile. Franco, a Venetian artist active during the High Renaissance, was renowned for his detailed drawings and engravings, often blending influences from masters like Michelangelo. Rendered in fine brown ink lines with subtle hatching for depth and shadow, the work exemplifies Renaissance draftsmanship...
About the Artist
Battista Franco · 1510–1561
Battista Franco, known as il Semolei, was born in Venice around 1510, though his career unfolded largely in Rome and at the courts of central and northern Italy. He came to Rome in his twenties and immediately fell under two powerful spells: the inexhaustible riches of classical antiquity and the overwhelming presence of Michelangelo. Franco spent years making drawings after ancient sculptures and...