Busts of a Man and a Woman in South-Eastern European Costumes, Guercino, c. 1645 - c. 1655
In this drawing Guercino may have focused on a subject that was particularly popular with Northern artists: the ill-matched love between an unattractive old man and a beautiful young woman. The delicate use of red chalk indicates that the artist considered the drawing as an independent work of art; perhaps it was intended for sale.