Bust of an elderly man with a caricature head, Orazio Marinali (circle of), c. 1680 - c. 1720

Bust of an elderly man with a caricature head, Orazio Marinali (circle of), c. 1680 - c. 1720

white Carrara marble, h 38cm × w 26.5cm × d 14.5cm × w 15.7kg Catalogue entry

Marble portraiture, usually reserved for rulers and the nobility, is here playfully employed for a base subject: a coarse old man’s head with grotesque features. This kind of overturning of convention and mocking of artistic decorum was highly appreciated by art collectors.

On display in room 2.13

Make your own creations with this work

Catalogue entry