The Head of the Virgin in Three-Quarter View Facing Right
1510–13
Medium
Black chalk, charcoal, and red chalk, with some traces of white chalk (?); some remains of framing outline in pen and brown ink at upper right (not by Leonardo)
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 x 6 1/8 in. (20.3 x 15.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.90
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the hushed galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of, Leonardo da Vinci's *The Head of the Virgin Three-Quarter View Facing Right* (c. 1510–13) captivates with its intimate portrayal of the Virgin Mary. Created during Leonardo's late career, this small drawing—measuring just 8 x6 1/8 inches—exemplifies his lifelong fascination with the human face, particularly the serene, idealized features of the Madonna. The three-quarter view, a of Renaissance portraiture, invites viewers into her contemplative gaze, evoking tenderness and divinity. Leonardo masterfully employed black chalk, charcoal, and...
About the Artist
Leonardo da Vinci · 1452–1519
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) stands as the quintessential Renaissance polymath, whose genius spanned painting, sculpture, architecture, science, mathematics, engineering, anatomy, geology, cartography, botany, and writing. Born in Vinci, Italy, as the illegitimate son of a notary, Leonardo received limited formal education but demonstrated extraordinary artistic talent from an early age. His appr...