Palma The Younger—studies Of Men’s Heads, Venetian Drawing, C. 1595

JACOPO NEGRETTI, known as PALMA THE YOUNGER
Venice, c. 1548 – 1628

Studies of Men’s Heads
Circa 1590–1600, probably around 1595

Pen and brown ink, brown and gray wash, with highlights of white on brown-gray primed paper
15 × 15 cm
Inscribed on the original mount: “Palma 17.”
Provenance: private collection, Paris.

This remarkable sheet brings together several studies of male heads and attests to the graphic vigor of Palma the Younger. The faces, rendered at various scales and in different orientations, appear to form a veritable repertoire of figures and expressions intended to inform the artist’s painted compositions. The energetic penwork, long hatching, wash, and luminous accents of white lend the faces a particularly lively and pictorial quality.

The most compelling comparison can be drawn with the *Three Heads of Old Men in Profile* held by the Louvre (inv. 5233), where we find the same juxtaposition of bearded profiles, with deeply shadowed eyes, discontinuous contours, and calligraphic strokes animating the beards. Other sheets from the Louvre, the Royal Collection, and the Städel Museum also bear witness to this characteristic practice of Palma’s—that of bringing together several independent studies on a single sheet.

The old inscription “Palma 17.”, written on the mount, also provides an interesting insight into the history of the sheet and its earlier attribution. Based on a comprehensive analysis of stylistic comparisons, this drawing can likely be dated to the 1590s, a period marking the artist’s full artistic maturity.

A complete catalog entry and comparative documentation are available upon request.