Study for the Head of Julius Caesar, ca. 1520
Red chalk
8 7/16 x 7 1/4 in. (21.5 x 18.4 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Partial and Promised
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David M. Tobey, 2008
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art, courtesy Art Resource, NY
This drawing prepares the eloquent classical profile of the central figure in Andrea's monumental fresco The Tribute to Caesar (Villa Medici, Poggio a Caiano). The artist exploits the effects of red chalk to produce crisp, saturated contours, subtle tones, and fine detail, resulting in one of the most impressive and refined drawings of his surviving corpus.