Provenance:

Private Collection, USA, until 2022.

This striking drawing follows a grotesque caricature of an old woman drawn by Leonardo Da Vinci, of which an early copy is in the Royal Collection in Windsor (Fig. 1). This sheet of eight head studies—formerly in the possession of Leonardo’s pupil, Francesco Melzi—was copied from an extensive series of Leonardo’s grotesques at an early date.

Drawings of grotesque heads held a special place within Leonardo’s graphic oeuvre. He was fascinated not only by the extremes of human physiognomy—like the bulging nose and protruding brow seen here—but also the emotive and moralizing qualities of these figures. With her elaborate coiffure resembling a chambered nautilus, the caricature on which our drawing is based likely served as a satire on aging and vanity. Rather than being made for comic effect, these caricatures of the human face were sites both of scientific inquiry and artistic expression.

Copies of Leonardo’s grotesque heads had a particular vogue in the centuries after this death. Already in the 16th century his grotesques were widely circulated in drawn copies and prints made by his followers as well as later artists who appreciated their inventiveness and visual appeal. This undoubtedly helped to establish the tradition of caricature as a legitimate artistic genre, which continued to flourish in Europe well into the 19th century.