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Head of a Man

Michelangelo

1530

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Head of a Man is a 1530 ink by Michelangelo, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Michelangelo
When & what style?: 1530 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a man’s head drawn in quick, loose red chalk lines. The face is simple—just a circle for the head, a few strokes for eyes, a curved line for the mouth, and wavy marks for hair. The paper has some writing in Italian around it, but the drawing itself is rough and unfinished. The artist used red chalk to sketch fast, almost like scribbling. This style was common for practice or planning bigger works. The paper looks old and worn, with a slightly yellow tint. If you like this sketch, look up Michelangelo to see more of his quick, expressive drawings.