Leonardo Da Vinci As a Physiognomist: Theory and Drawing Practice

On the back cover –

This book deals with Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings of grotesque heads which have fascinated critics from Vasari (1568) onward. These grotesque heads enjoyed a considerable popularity among Renaissance artists and copies of them were made well into the 18th century. Though numerous theories have been advanced to explain what Leonardo intended with these striking heads, they have never been the subject of a monograph.

Without pursuing questions of attribution and chronology, the author focuses on how these drawings relate to Leonardo’s didactic theories about the imitation of the human figure in painting. The author assess both the significance of the subjects of emotional expression and (grotesque) physiognomy within the context of Leonardo’s teachings on painting, as well as indebtedness to previous comments and views on these matters. By taking account on the implications of these theoretical considerations, this book presents for a first time classification of the relevant drawings into categories of purpose.

Chapters:

– Acknowledgements

– Introduction

– Leonardo’s concept of the physical expression of emotions and character. It’s nature and historical background.

– The lost book on ‘Moti Mentali’

– Teaching method and working procedure

– A classification of Leonardo’s drawings of expressive and grotesque heads

– Heads of old men as ‘tetes d’expression’

– Concluding remarks

– Appendix A

– Appendix B

– Bibliography

– List of Illustrations

– Illustrations