Hoofd van een kale man - Anne Claude Philippe de Tubières, comte de Caylus

A refined etching by the French antiquarian Anne Claude Philippe de Caylus, depicting the profile of an elderly man with a focus on character and line.

This etching, titled Hoofd van een kale man, displays the characteristic precision of Anne Claude Philippe de Caylus. As a French aristocrat, antiquarian, and amateur printmaker, Caylus occupied a unique position within the eighteenth-century art world. He was a central figure in the study of classical antiquity, yet his personal graphic output often focused on the study of human character and physiognomy.

The work presents a profile view of an elderly man. The artist employs a delicate, calligraphic line to define the contours of the face, the receding hairline, and the texture of the beard. By using minimal hatching, Caylus directs the viewer's attention to the specific features of the subject, such as the heavy brow and the set of the mouth. The economy of the composition is typical of his approach to etching, where the focus remains on the clarity of the form rather than elaborate shading or background detail. The number 14 in the upper right corner suggests this print was part of a larger series or a collection of character studies, a common practice for artists and collectors of the period who sought to document various human types.

Caylus was known for his efforts to revive the technique of encaustic painting and his extensive writings on art history. His prints, while often produced as personal exercises or illustrations for his publications, demonstrate a high level of technical proficiency. This piece offers a glimpse into the private artistic pursuits of a man who spent his life documenting the material culture of the past. The print is a study of age and expression, rendered with a light touch that avoids unnecessary ornamentation. It remains a clear example of the graphic style favoured by the French intellectual elite during the mid-eighteenth century.