Studies of a goat and heads

German School

Summary

A reproduction produced by the Vasari Society of four drawings from the German School, early sixteenth century, presented on the same sheet. The top-left drawing is of the head of a man in profile. The man has a heavy brown and a pointed chin, and his mouth is open as though he is speaking or laughing. He is wearing a tall hat with an upturned brim. The top-right drawing is another head of a man, this time shown nearly full face. The man has a round face and a wide grin, showing some of his top teeth. His hair is cut with a high straight fringe. The drawing in the centre is of a woman in profile. She is wearing an embroidered headdress with the initials 'C' and 'P' incorporated into the pattern. Above her are parts of two other portraits, cut off by the top of the page. The bottom drawing is of a long-haired goat with long, curved horns. The goat is lying down. It is closely cropped by the edges of the page. Text from the accompanying booklet produced by the Vasari Society: "13, 14, 15, 16. GERMAN SCHOOL, EARLY SIXTEENTH CENTURY 13. HEAD OF A MAN IN PROFILE 14. HEAD OF A MAN, NEARLY FULL FACE, LAUGHING 15. HEAD OF A WOMAN IN PROFILE 16. STUDY OF A GOAT Collection of the Duke of Devonshire, K.G., Chatsworth. Silver-point. (13) 7.3 x 5.3 cm. (2 7/8 x 2 1/16 in.); (14) 7.3 x 5.4 cm. (2 7/8 x 2 1/8 in.); (15, 16) (back and front of the same leaf), 9.9 x 12.6 cm. (3 7/8 x 4 15/16 in.). The prepared ground of the obverse (16) is whiter than that of the reverse (15). The four drawings, preserved together, are probably fragments of a sketch-book, the two drawings of male heads being cut down to a much smaller size than the leaf containing the larger drawings. On the back of No. 14 is a drawing of a grasshopper. No. 13 contains the lower portion of another study of a head, similar to the two of which portions remain on No. 15. It will be noticed that the embroidery on the woman's linen coif contains the initials C. P., which probably have some personal connexion with the sitter. The drawing of a goat already enjoys considerable celebrity, having been repeatedly published and described as a study from nature by Pisanello for the unicorn on his medal of Cecilia Gonzaga. Its resemblance to the medal is undeniable, and the drawing is so excellent as to be fully worthy of the Veronese master; but in view of the remaining drawings of the group, here published for the first time, it appears to me impossible to maintain this attribution. The drawing on the back, which must be ascribed to the same artist, is clearly Northern in character, and of later date than Pisanello's lifetime. The first male head suggests the influence of Schongauer. No artist whose silver-point sketched have come down to us is more probably the author of these drawings than the elder Holbein, but I do not find the resemblance to his work sufficiently close to adopt the attribution with confidence. At Chatsworth all four drawings were once attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. C. D. [S. A. Strong, p. 11. R. E. Fry, Burlington Magazine, 1904, iv. 53. G. F. Hill, 'Pisanello', 1905, p. 174.]"