Grotesque Head, ca. 1625
Red chalk heightened with traces of white on brown paper
Sheet dimensions17,5 × 19,4 cm
Place of originRoma
About the workA grotesque face stares fixedly at us. The widened eyes, crooked nose and bulging lips are captured with just a few strokes. The draughtsman has skilfully pushed the expressive possibilities of the human face to their limits. Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini worked in Rome in the seventeenth century, primarily as a sculptor and architect, but also as a painter. Expressive studies were of particular importance in painting, as the facial expressions depicted were intended to stir up intense emotions in the viewer.
AccessionCollection of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Provenance[…]; seit 1932 Dauerleihgabe der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Inventory numberKA (FP) 8910
