Studie van het hoofd van een man in de stijl van Dürer 1606

Hendrick Goltzius made this study of a man’s head, in pen and brown ink, as an homage to the style of Dürer. The controlled, precise strokes are remarkable. Look closely, and you can see how the material – the ink, the paper, the pen – dictates the final result. The controlled strokes of Goltzius’s pen capture the man's likeness, the weight of his gaze, and the texture of his fur-lined cloak. Ink, in this context, wasn’t just a medium; it was a means of expressing the artist’s skill, his capacity to mimic the qualities of the print, and his appreciation for the graphic arts. The choice of medium is significant. Pen and ink drawings are inherently linked to reproduction, as a precursor to printmaking. By working in this mode, Goltzius invites us to consider the role of the artist as both creator and interpreter, skillfully navigating the boundaries between craft and fine art.