Grotesque Head With a Large Ear and an Open Mouth Looking to the Right Within a Circle 1727

Gaetano Piccini created this drawing of a grotesque head with pen and brown ink on paper. The composition is dominated by the head in profile, contained within a precisely drawn circle. The hatching and cross-hatching create strong contrasts between light and shadow, especially around the cavernous ear and gaping mouth. The exaggeration of features disrupts conventional beauty, inviting us to consider the boundaries of form and representation. This grotesque challenges fixed categories, embodying the carnivalesque spirit that questions social hierarchies. Piccini's use of line and form evokes a sense of dynamic energy, underscoring the head's expressive power. It is a study in the grotesque, a playful yet unsettling exploration of the human form pushed to its expressive limits. Note the circular frame. It serves not only to isolate but also to amplify the raw emotion, forcing us to confront the intensity of the subject's open mouth and bulging ear. The grotesque remains an open question, and is subject to continual interpretation.