Head of a Pilgrim

School Pisanello

Summary

A reproduction produced by the Vasari Society of a drawing by the School of Pisanello. The drawing shows the upper portion of a curly haired, bearded man. The man is middle aged and appears weary, he is also a pilgrim. He is wearing a wide brimmed hat. On the hat there is some spherical object, possibly an onion. The man is wearing a simple cloak and is looking to the right, off into the distance. Text from the accompanying booklet produced by the Vasari Society "No. 1 School of Pisanello Head of a Pilgram The Library of Christ Church, Oxford. Pen and Bistre on white paper rubbed with bole. 25 x 16.3 cm This is one of a large series of drawings (most of the others being contained in teh Vallardi Album in the Louvre) connected with Pisanello's fresco of St. George in Sant' Anastasia, Verona. It represents the head and shoulders of the pilgrim on the shield of the Pellegrini family, which in the fresco occupies a place in the spandrel to the right of the arch. It differs from the complete fresco in that the head is upright, instead of inclined to the right, and the garment of plain stuff instead of sheep-skin; it is therefore presumably a study for the fresco and not a copy made from it. This portion of the fresco was probably executed by a pupil of the master (perhaps Bono of Ferrara), to whom accordingly this drawing may be conjecturally assigned."