Giuseppe Bernardino Bison 1762 Palmanova-1844 Milano Study of seven character heads The sheet symbolizes the paradigm of Venetian lightness. With the ease of line characteristic of this master who worked at the turn of the century and civilization, a theory of juxtaposed faces with different facial expressions unfolds with no real caricatured intentions but of 'character'. While respecting iconographic precedents from Emilia and Veneto, the drawing falls within the aesthetics of neoclassical taste, according to which "simplicity, elegance, correction exclude the too much, the loaded." On the back of the sheet, in the center in lapis "Bison," in modern cursive script, probably the same one that wrote, again in pencil, on the lower right corner, upside down from the previous wording, the figure "3000." Although abraded, the stamp in black ink at the upper right corner - a short distance from the dotted initial "B." which appears to have been drafted in the sepia ink of the recto drawing and in the painter's known handwriting - is recognizable with that of the collection, important for Bison's many drawings, by Udine physician and writer also on things of art Tito Miotti (1913-2002), consisting of a rampant lion holding a flower within a circle (Lugt 4259). W. 239 - H. 119 mm pen and brown ink on paper Tito Miotti Collection, Tricesimo (Udine) Private collection, Venice A. Rizzi, Cento disegni del Bison, exhibition catalog (Udine, Loggia del Lionello December 21, 1962 - January 6, 1963), Tip. Doretti, Udine, 1962, p. 68@@ A. Rizzi, Disegni del Bison, Del Bianco, Udine 1976, p. 37, no. 121@@@ Disegni Antichi dalla Collezione Ligabue, edited by S. and P. Scarpa, Electa, Milan, 2005, pp. 128-129@@@ E. Lucchese, Card No. 81, in De' Visi Mostruosi e Caricature. Da Leonardo da Vinci a Bacon, exhibition catalog (Venice, Palazzo Loredan, January 28-April 27, 2023), edited by P.C. Marani, Venice, Marsilio, 2023, pp. 192-192, ill. 81 The sheet symbolizes the paradigm of Venetian lightness. With the ease of stroke characteristic of this master who operated at the turn of two centuries and civilizations, a theory of juxtaposed faces with different facial expressions unfolds without true caricature intentions but of 'character'. While respecting iconographic precedents from Emilia and Veneto, the drawing falls within the aesthetics of neoclassical taste, according to which "simplicity, elegance, correction exclude the too much, the loaded." On the back of the sheet, in the center in lapis "Bison," in modern cursive script, probably the same one that wrote, again in pencil, on the lower right corner, upside down from the previous wording, the figure "3000." Although abraded, the black ink stamp at the upper right corner - a short distance from the dotted initial "B." which appears to have been drafted in sepia ink from the recto drawing and in the painter's known handwriting - is recognizable with that in the collection, important for Bison's many drawings, of Udine physician and writer also on things of art Tito Miotti (1913-2002), consisting of a rampant lion holding a flower within a circle (Lugt 4259).