An Old Man

Florentine 15th Century

National Gallery of Art

The sculpture depicts a bust of a man with a solemn expression, elongated facial features, and a prominent, high forehead. His hair is styled in a short, simple manner and frames his head closely. He is clad in a cloak-like garment that drapes over his shoulders, displaying a series of vertical folds. The sculpture is rendered in a dark brown hue, suggestive of wood or perhaps a bitumen-stained terracotta material, with a patina that indicates age and texture. The bust is presented from the chest up, without arms, and appears life-sized to the viewer.