Head of a young man, perhaps a saint
Head
ca. 1650-1700 (made)
ca. 1650-1700 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is the head of a young man with a beard and moustache. The way in which it is made suggests that it was formerly part of a dressed figure. It would have been fixed to a dressed dummy, and would probably have worn a wig or head-covering. Its facial features recall the works of Alonso Cano (1601-1667) and of Pedro de Mena (1628-1688), and it may well have been produced in Granada or perhaps Seville in the mid-seventeenth century. Without iconographical attributes it is difficult to identify the subject; the beard and moustache suggest it could be a Jesuit saint such as St Ignatius Loyola or St Francis Borgia.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | Head of a young man, perhaps a saint (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Painted limewood, poplar (possibly) and canvas |
Brief description | Head of a Jesuit Saint. Andalusia, ca. 1650-1700. |
Physical description | There has been much paint loss, and the wood appears to have been stained brown. Some of the original paint has been consolidated; there are sighs of overpainting in some areas, notably the eyes and beard. The pink flesh colour also appears to be later painting over an original cream colour. In addition there are signs of woodworm damage. The head is of three hollowed pieces, consisting of the face, the centre, and the back of the head, the joins strengthened with canvas. A gash in the back of the head may be a natural fault in the timber, which would have been concealed if the figure had worn a cap or wig. |
Dimensions |
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Summary | This is the head of a young man with a beard and moustache. The way in which it is made suggests that it was formerly part of a dressed figure. It would have been fixed to a dressed dummy, and would probably have worn a wig or head-covering. Its facial features recall the works of Alonso Cano (1601-1667) and of Pedro de Mena (1628-1688), and it may well have been produced in Granada or perhaps Seville in the mid-seventeenth century. Without iconographical attributes it is difficult to identify the subject; the beard and moustache suggest it could be a Jesuit saint such as St Ignatius Loyola or St Francis Borgia. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | A.2-1916 |
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Record created | February 10, 2009 |
Record URL |
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