Two heads 1645 - 1650

This print of two heads was etched by Wenceslaus Hollar, a Bohemian working in 17th-century England, after a drawing attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. Copies like this one played a key role in the history and spread of art. Before photography, prints were crucial for disseminating images and ideas. Hollar, a prolific printmaker, made copies after old master drawings to satisfy the growing demand for art among collectors and connoisseurs. The image, in this case, is valued not so much for its aesthetic beauty as for its intellectual content. We see here the rise of art history as a discipline. Art was studied through drawing and print collections. This print demonstrates how art was seen as a source of knowledge and inspiration. To learn more, consult collections of prints and drawings and histories of art collecting in the early modern period. By exploring the historical context, we can better understand the cultural significance of this seemingly simple image.