Le magazine
Leonardo’s Grotesques
lundi 11 juin 2018
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Caricature of heads: One man and two women, after Leonardo da VinciPhoto (C) The British Museum, Londres, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / The Trustees of the British Museum
A genius in his day, Leonardo da Vinci was just as attracted by ugliness as he was beauty.
Da Vinci’s prodigious talent came with a limitless curiosity unique to the artist. It was this thirst for knowledge that inspired him to create works that were as singular as him. His interest in physiognomy, whereby observations of physical appearance provide clues to an individual’s personality, led him to produce a collection of grotesque portraits.
Equally attracted by ugliness as he was beauty, da Vinci has influenced many artists who have drawn inspiration from his work and recreated some of his portraits.
By turns intriguing, amusing and surprising, find our selection of these unusual portraits inspired by the famous Leonardo da Vinci.
