Not currently on display at the V&A

Head of a young man, perhaps a saint

Head
ca. 1650-1700 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Andalusia (made)

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
Sculpture
Object type
Head
TitleHead of a young man, perhaps a saint (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted limewood, poplar (possibly) and canvas
Wood
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
  • Height: 33cm
  • Depth: 17.5cm
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
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, 1964. p. 699.
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. London, 1932. p. 139.
  • Trusted, Marjorie. Spanish Sculpture. Catalogue of the Post-Medieval Spanish Sculpture in Wood, Terracotta, Alabaster, Marble, Stone, Lead and Jet in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London, 1996. p. 80. cat. no. 31.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.2-1916

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Record createdFebruary 10, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O187069/head-of-a-young-man-head-unknown/
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