Two heads
Medium
Engraving, only state
Dimensions
3 3/4 x 5 5/16 in. (9.5 x 13.5 cm) impression clipped at sides
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1917
Accession Number
17.50.18-212
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate engraving *Two Heads*, a masterful reproduction by Wenceslaus Hollar (1607–1677) after a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci (14521519). Created between 1645 and 1650, this intimate print captures the profiles of a man and a in exquisite detail, showcasing Leonardo's fascination with human anatomy and expression. Measuring just 3¾ x 5⅜ inches, the impression—clipped at the sides—invites close inspection, revealing the Czech-born Hollar's skill in translating Renaissance genius into print. Hollar, a prolific engraver active in England during the turbulent mid-17th century, special...
About the Artist
Leonardo da Vinci|Wenceslaus Hollar · 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...