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LEONARDO da Vinci: Study of the effect of light on a profile head (facsimile)

🖼 Study of the effect of light on a profile head (facsimile), 1487-90
Black chalk, pen and ink on paper
203 × 143 cm
Florence, Italy

Golden light sculpts a profile head, revealing Leonardo's obsessive study of shadow and form across the face. This anatomical investigation demonstrates Renaissance mastery of chiaroscuro, establishing techniques that would define portraiture for centuries.

The story of art
The story of art
E. H. Gombrich
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