Twelve Heads 1645

Wenceslaus Hollar created this print titled ‘Twelve Heads’ in the 17th century. The image shows the artist’s rendering of a variety of human faces, some realistic, some caricatured, and some grotesque. Hollar was born in Prague, Bohemia. The religious and political upheavals of the Thirty Years War shaped his life and career. He spent time in Germany, the Netherlands, and England. During this time, printmaking was an increasingly important means of circulating images and information. The demand for prints grew as new social classes grew. Hollar was employed by wealthy patrons such as the Earl of Arundel, but he also produced prints for a wider commercial market. In England, Hollar also documented important events such as the coronation of Charles II. As an art historian, one can look to patronage records, account books, and other archival documents, to help us to understand the economic and social conditions that enabled Hollar to produce his art.