Leonardo's Drawings of Busts of Old Men and Women with Monstrous Faces: Satire as Moral Criticism

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In the first essay, Michael Kwakkelstein seizes upon Leonardo keen fascination for drawing profile heads with the expressive qualities of facial morphology, particularly of those individuals with uncommon or misshapen features. His practice of drawing deformed heads from direct observation later expanded to include heads informed by his own imagination. The latter date to Leonardo’s time in Milan, a period marked by his growing frustration with court life. It is possible that these images also served as satirical and moralizing outlet.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationGrotesque and Caricature
Subtitle of host publicationLeonardo to Bernini
Place of PublicationLeiden / Boston
PublisherBrill
Chapter1
Pages13-37
Number of pages25
Volume68
ISBN (Electronic)9789004679757
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Dec 2023

Publication series

NameBrill's Studies on Art, Art History, and Intellectual History
PublisherBrill
Volume68

Keywords

  • caricature
  • physiognomy
  • humor in the renaissance
  • Leonardo da Vinci
  • drawing practice
  • Satire

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