Bust of a Man with Long Beard (recto) 1477 - 1549

Curator: We're looking at Sodoma's "Bust of a Man with Long Beard," likely dating from the late 15th to mid-16th century. It's housed here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Raw power. That's the first thing that jumps out at me. He looks like a force of nature, emerging right out of the paper with all that beard and wild hair. Curator: It's fascinating how much energy Sodoma achieves with just pencil and charcoal. You see the rough, almost frenzied hatching used to depict the beard and hair. It feels less about capturing a likeness and more about exploring texture and volume. The choice of charcoal and pencil as his main instruments highlights a practical and direct approach to artmaking. There's a beautiful unpretentiousness. Editor: Absolutely, the means of production speak volumes. You see the paper itself becoming an active participant rather than just a passive background. Look closely at the laid lines showing through. It adds another layer of texture, a kind of grid anchoring the wildness of the subject. This drawing prompts interesting questions. Was this preparatory for a larger work, or does it stand on its own, an exercise in studying the play of light and shadow on rough textures? Either way, the choice of materials gives it an immediate, tactile quality. Curator: I like the word ‘tactile.’ His beard does beckon to be touched, doesn't it? I almost feel like I know his thoughts, his temperament. Do you sense some vulnerability behind that imposing profile? Editor: Perhaps, or a fierce intellect? It would be interesting to know whether Sodoma received a commission to complete a large portrait of a wealthy family, or whether this drawing emerged in the quiet spaces of artmaking—perhaps at his patron's workshops or during off-hours as part of a broader culture of male bonding within workshops. I suppose we will never know. Curator: Mysteries wrapped in masterful strokes... It makes one wonder what other unseen lives exist on paper, waiting to be discovered anew. Editor: It underscores how the mundane can become profoundly expressive through thoughtful selection of materials and careful craftsmanship. A testament to art's power, really.