Head of a Man

Antonio d'Enrico Tanzio (Tanzio da Varallo)

1575–1633 · Red chalk · Drawings and Prints

The Lombard artist known as Tanzio da Varallo developed a bold, personal style based on his training in his father’s workshop and his exposure to the works of Caravaggio (1571–1610) in Rome. This striking study in red chalk seems to be preparatory for one of the shepherds in Tanzio’s fresco of the Annunciation to the Shepherds, in the church of Santa Maria della Pace, in Milan, a project that dates to the artist’s final years. The man’s pronounced nose, patchy facial hair, and angular features are captured with an immediacy typical of Tanzio’s draftsmanship. The upper portion of the sheet includes a sketch of the man’s eyes and furrowed brow, while the lower left includes a more schematic outline study of the figure’s chin and neck.

Artist

Antonio d'Enrico Tanzio (Tanzio da Varallo)

Date

1575–1633

Medium

Red chalk

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Wildenstein Gift, 1996