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a drawing of a woman ' s profile with her hair in a bun
Dams Casa d'Aste

16 - Agostino Carracci (attributed to) – Female head in profile P…
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Estimate €300 - €500
Sale commission
Description
Agostino Carracci (attributed to) – Female head in profile Pen and brown ink on paper 151 x 111 mm The sheet depicts a female head in profile, constructed using a dense system of parallel and intersecting lines, with an extremely controlled pen stroke that serves to define the volumes of the face and the hairstyle.The composition finds a precise counterpart in the ‘Female Profile’ from the series *Esemplare del disegno in gratia dei principianti* (*Model Drawing for Beginners*), known through an anonymous engraving based on a design by Agostino Carracci and preserved, amongst other examples, at the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica in Rome. The relationship between this sheet and the print is particularly significant: not only the general composition of the profile, but also the arrangement of the locks of hair and the definition of the eye, nose and mouth show precise correspondences. The drawing, however, displays greater freedom of execution, evident in the presence of lighter marks, overlaps, revisions and areas left only partially defined – elements consistent with the function of a graphic model preceding its translation into an engraving.From a stylistic point of view, the sheet can be compared to certain drawings attributed to Agostino Carracci, characterised by a restrained and economical use of the pen, including the ‘Goat’s Head in Profile’, formerly in the Adrien collection and sold at Sotheby’s on 22 March 2018, with which it shares the construction of form through short parallel strokes, crossed and modulated according to a sensibility closely linked to the practice of engraving.The work therefore constitutes a particularly interesting example within the context of Agostino Carracci’s graphic output and the complex relationship between creative invention in drawing and its subsequent translation into print.
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About the sale Paintings and Drawings from the 15th to the 19th century
Auction location
Auction time 10/29/2026 at 3:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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