Artwork
Head of a Man Looking Up
Head of a Man Looking Up is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Pietro Antonio Novelli. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Head of a Man Looking Up is a drawing by Pietro Antonio Novelli, created around 1774. It is executed in pen and brown ink over charcoal, with white chalk highlights on ochre prepared paper.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a man's head gazing upwards with his mouth slightly open, conveying a sense of emotion or introspection. The subject's facial features and hair texture are rendered in detail, creating a sense of depth and character.
Technique & Style
Novelli's use of contrasting light and dark, achieved through the combination of pen, ink, and chalk on coloured paper, adds volume and dimension to the subject's face. The bold lines and subtle shading and hatching demonstrate the artist's skill in capturing the subtleties of human expression.
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Artist & collection
