Accession Number
1948/1.29

Title
Head of a Bearded Man with a Wreath

Artist(s)
French

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
17th century

Medium & Support
chalk on white paper

Dimensions
5 9/16 in. x 4 13/16 in. ( 14.1 cm x 12.3 cm )

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Label copy

These portraits of elderly men in three-quarter view are similar in composition, subject matter, and precision of execution. Their purposes, however, were different. The drawing is a unique work that may have been intended as a preparatory sketch for a larger work of art—a form of visual notation through which the artist developed his ideas. The etching, however, is a nished work; as a print, it could be produced in multiples and disseminated to a wider audience. In both works the subject is closely observed, but the drawing presents greater variety of line. Smoother and more regulated lines define the forms in the etching, and there is a shaper contrast between light and dark. 

Primary Object Classification
Drawing

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
figural studies
head
heads (animal components)
man