This drawing depicts an intricately designed heraldic figure. A central human bust with a bearded male visage sits atop a pedestalesque construct adorned with decorative scrollwork and hanging tassels. Crossed swords, each adorned with circular shields, extend from either side of the bust. Suspended from the swords are garlands that include various botanical elements such as leaves, vines, and possibly fruits. The piece is rich in detail with intricate shading, creating texture and depth, giving it a primarily ornamental and emblematic appearance.
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This drawing depicts an intricately designed heraldic figure. A central human bust with a bearded male visage sits atop a pedestalesque construct adorned with decorative scrollwork and hanging tassels. Crossed swords, each adorned with circular shields, extend from either side of the bust. Suspended from the swords are garlands that include various botanical elements such as leaves, vines, and possibly fruits. The piece is rich in detail with intricate shading, creating texture and depth, giving it a primarily ornamental and emblematic appearance.

National Gallery of Art · Print

Bearded Head on a Pedestal

Jean Mignon

Medium
etching
Dimensions
sheet: 26.7 × 18.2 cm (10 1/2 × 7 3/16 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1964.8.861
Credit line
Rosenwald Collection
Time span
1501 to 1550
Department
CG-E

Portfolio and series

Series
Series of Twenty Terminals [Zerner 1969 9-28]

Subjects and terms

  • Fruit
  • Fontainebleau
  • Sword
  • Face

NGA object ID 48073. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.