Four Caricatured Heads 1612 - 1666

Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by how brutally honest these faces seem. Is that a trick of the light, or did Mola not hold back? Editor: We're looking at a drawing titled “Four Caricatured Heads” created sometime between 1612 and 1666 by Pier Francesco Mola, now residing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s executed in ink, a medium lending itself perfectly to the exaggerated lines of caricature. And you’re right, the starkness is rather striking. Curator: Caricature walks a fine line, doesn't it? Are we laughing with them, or at them? There's a vulnerability there, especially in the slumped shoulders and the intensity of the gaze, even if somewhat cartoonish. The second head has this wild-eyed look and a soft hat – it's like he’s seen a ghost, or perhaps had one too many glasses of wine. Editor: That “wild-eyed look” brings to mind the archetype of the wandering philosopher or the misunderstood genius, forever burdened by their thoughts. The exaggeration isn’t merely for comedic effect. Think of the outsized noses and receding hairlines – those features can be seen as signifiers, revealing personality or supposed inherent flaws. Curator: Flaws elevated to comedic highs or cautionary tales...I see the connection! They all seem suspended in time; they are character studies that feel incomplete, yet wonderfully finished, somehow. Do you think Mola was inspired by folklore archetypes? Editor: That’s astute. Absolutely, and there's a historical precedent here. The use of physiognomy – linking appearance to character – was prevalent then. It was believed that certain facial features dictated one's destiny, one's virtues or vices. The artistic approach could reveal the artist’s intention as critique or, more playfully, poking fun at established social structures. It’s interesting that each individual's neck vanishes as if it is sliced in a single strike: there's definitely something sinister beyond the immediate. Curator: A brutal stroke indeed... Mola is holding a mirror up to society. Perhaps these caricatures are the distorted reflections we often choose to ignore, yet secretly recognize within ourselves and in others. And is it the same model four times, slightly different in terms of looks? I can't decide... Editor: What a powerful thought; now, that's something to ponder as we move forward. These four heads give insight into humanity's contradictions and how those contradictions can live in all of us.