Grotesque Head of an Old Woman
1489/1490
Medium
pen and brown ink on laid paper; laid down
Dimensions
overall: 6.4 x 5.1 cm (2 1/2 x 2 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dian Woodner
Accession Number
2022.84.1
Art Historical Context
Created around 1489–1490, Leonardo da Vinci’s *Grotesque Head of an Old Woman* exemplifies the Renaissance master’s lifelong fascination with human character and physiognomy. Working in Milan during this period, Leonardo produced numerous small drawings of exaggerated or unusual faces, using them to explore how age, expression, and physical traits could convey personality and emotion. Though diminutive in scale, the sheet reveals his keen powers of observation and his desire to capture the full spectrum of humanity, from ideal beauty to striking individuality. Executed in pen and brown ink on...
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...