The image shows a bust of a man, capturing the upper part of his torso and head. The man is positioned slightly facing the right side, with his head turned to give a three-quarter profile view. He has facial features such as a prominent nose, deep-set eyes, and a full, curly beard and hair. The hair and beard are depicted with detailed curls and shading. The man is not wearing any visible clothing or jewelry. The background is a plain, neutral tone, allowing the focus to remain on the bust. The artwork is rendered in a monochromatic color scheme using varying shades of brown and sepia tones.
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The image shows a bust of a man, capturing the upper part of his torso and head. The man is positioned slightly facing the right side, with his head turned to give a three-quarter profile view. He has facial features such as a prominent nose, deep-set eyes, and a full, curly beard and hair. The hair and beard are depicted with detailed curls and shading. The man is not wearing any visible clothing or jewelry. The background is a plain, neutral tone, allowing the focus to remain on the bust. The artwork is rendered in a monochromatic color scheme using varying shades of brown and sepia tones.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

Bearded Head after the Antique

Giovanni Battista Cipriani

Medium
gray wash heightened with white on brown wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 19.2 x 15.8 cm (7 9/16 x 6 1/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
1995.52.26
Credit line
Gift of William B. O'Neal
Time span
1726 to 1750
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • Italian
  • male
  • figure
  • Head
  • Bearded man
Provenance

(Covent Garden Gallery, Ltd. [William Drummond], London); purchased by William B. O'Neal, Charlottesville, VA, 1979-1994; gift to NGA, 1995.

NGA object ID 75936. 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.