Bust of an elderly man with a caricature head

Orazio Marinali, c. 1680 - c. 1720

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.

  • Artwork typesculpture
  • Object numberBK-NM-3056
  • Dimensionsheight 38 cm x width 26.5 cm x depth 14.5 cm, weight 15.7 kg
  • Physical characteristicswhite Carrara marble