“Profile of a Warrior in Helmet”
For today, a drawing from one of the original Renaissance men.
This wonderful and expressive drawing is by the Italian Renaissance artist, Leonardo da Vinci. It was made circa 1475 to 1480 and is silverpoint on prepared paper. It is often referred to as “Profile of a Warrior in Helmet” or “Antique Warrior”.
In this drawing, Leonardo depicts a man in profile from his left side. He is wearing a helmet adorned with flowers and acanthus leaves. Wings stylize the helmet, almost like the wings often depicted on Hermes helmet in Greek mythology. The man’s curly hair can be seen protruding out from the helmet. His armor is carefully detailed, with the same acanthus leaves decorating it. Chained mail can be seen beneath the padded shoulders. A lion adorns the breastplate of the armor.
Silverpoint is a variant of metalpoint. Other metals used include tin and lead. Since metalpoint required a lot of patience, it was a popular technique taught to art students to reinforce certain drawing techniques. The shading is made from individual, small, thin lines. Leonardo was in his twenties when he made this piece under the tutelage of Andrea Verrocchio in Florence, Italy. For many years, it was interpreted as a profile portrait of Hannibal. However, today it is believed to be a copy of a cast metal relief work by Verrocchio depicting Darius the Great, the Persian ruler, which has since been lost.
Metalpoint flourished during the Renaissance. It was a precursor to graphite and blossomed with the paper trade. It fell out of favor in Italy after the Renaissance but persisted in the northern European countries for several more hundred years and was revitalized with the Pre-Raphaelites.
“Profile of a Warrior in Helmet” is currently in the collections of the British Museum in London, England.
For more on Leonardo da Vinci, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
This beautiful drawing makes a splendid companion for your last post of the Mucha profile–a longstanding tradition in its format, a terrific pair to show what does and doesn’t change in representation over the centuries. Thanks as always for the post and the information. I always learn something cool.
You’re absolutely right! I’m so glad you enjoy these posts! I’ve always been partial to profile portraits. They can be as simple as a silhouetted line to as detailed as da Vinci’s piece here, and with everything in between.