Two Grotesque Heads 1538 - 1573

"Two Grotesque Heads," an etching by Hans Liefrinck (1518-1573), depicts a man and a woman in profile, their features exaggerated and distorted. The artist's use of grotesque imagery, characteristic of the Northern Renaissance style, was popular during the 16th century and reflected a fascination with the strange and unusual. Liefrinck's work, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is a prime example of this artistic trend, which often explored themes of mortality and the fragility of human existence.