Caricature with Mola Protecting Himself from a Man Holding a Viper

Pier Francesco Mola

Associated Names
Pier Francesco Mola

Artist, Italian, 1612 - 1666

The image is a sketch of two figures captured from the waist up. The person on the left is facing forward with curly hair cascading around their shoulders. Their facial features are roughly sketched, with prominent eyes and a subtle smile. They are wearing a garment with frilled or puffed sleeves and their hand is visible. The person on the right is in profile, facing left, with a more angular facial structure, including a prominent nose and chin. They have straight hair or a headpiece extending backward. Both figures are presented in a simplified, stylized manner without detailed clothing or accessories. The background is plain and unadorned.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Morel d'Arleux, France; French private collection; Michael Miller and Lucy Vivante, New York; gift to NGA, 1998.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2018

  • Sense of Humor: Caricature, Satire, and the Comical in Prints and Drawings from Leonardo to the Present, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2018 - 2019.

Inscriptions

by later hand, lower left in brown ink: C. Marata

Watermarks

star in a circle (similar to Briquet 6086, but with a circle or letter C on top)

Wikidata ID

Q64619548

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