Head of an old man.

Head of an Old Man from 1630 by Pietro da Cortona is a study by the leading Roman Baroque painter and architect. Cortona was responsible for some of the most spectacular ceiling paintings of the Baroque era, including the Barberini ceiling in Rome (1633-39) which defined the illusionistic ceiling painting that would dominate European decorative art for a century. This head study likely served as preparatory work for one of his large figure compositions, demonstrating his practice of working from life to achieve the characterful faces that animate his ambitious narrative paintings. Cortona was the supreme master of Roman High Baroque decoration, his altarpieces and ceiling frescoes combining dynamic composition with rich color and theatrical light effects. The National Museum in Warsaw holds this work as part of its collection of Italian Baroque painting.

The head study demonstrates Cortona's fluid Baroque brushwork and mastery of characterful facial modeling, likely a preparatory study for a larger composition.