Dorotheum auction features rare Perugino head study

The Dorotheum auction house in Vienna is featuring a rare head study by Old Master Pietro Perugino (c. 1450–1523). The drawing, executed with pen, ink, brush, and white highlights, has been recently attributed to the artist and identified as a precise study for his central composition of the ‘Pietà’ held in the Uffizi Gallery.

The study depicts the bust of Nicodemus, characterized by a heavenward gaze and a garment style fashionable around 1500. Given that only approximately 60 original drawings by Perugino are known to exist, the piece represents a significant addition to the artist's documented works.