Head of Bearded Old Man Shown in Profile, Looking Up 1600 - 1700

Curator: This drawing, "Head of Bearded Old Man Shown in Profile, Looking Up," is an intriguing example of draftsmanship from the 17th century, placing it within the Baroque era. Currently residing here at The Met, it uses charcoal to capture the minute details. Editor: Oh, my god, this drawing has got me feeling…old? But also serene. He looks like he’s mid-sneeze or perhaps catching the scent of something wonderful, gazing upwards as if he is anticipating beauty from the sky, you know? The color just drenches it in age! Curator: It’s interesting that you perceive that anticipation. Thinking about power dynamics in the 17th century and how they were performed through portraiture and the very male gaze, it may seem to echo sentiments on the subjugated person waiting or praying to a divine power, someone completely outside themselves, a king perhaps? Editor: Interesting point! I get the idea that those curls are incredibly expressive. Both in his hair and beard, so untamed; it reminds me of someone fighting to be heard! Perhaps this old man, whatever his place in the social order, is yearning. Craving something just beyond his reach, and maybe that ‘something’ is equality. He demands attention with all the frizz in his whiskers. Curator: That is quite possible. The Baroque was nothing if not an era defined by both religious fervor, new rational ways of thinking and immense social stratifications. We should consider this in the context of political upheavals happening across Europe at the time; people would likely be constantly in that in-between state. The unknown artist captures this state so beautifully! Editor: Beautiful and subtle indeed. What starts out as what seems to be just a profile becomes a deeply complex story of a moment and, who knows, maybe of a whole societal era. It's always exciting when a portrait has a life that keeps whispering. Curator: Agreed, looking at artworks through a critical, intersectional lens definitely opens it up for conversation.