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Directing large workshop that produced religious and mythological paintings in Antwerp, Frans Floris pioneered the use of head studies like this one to work out expression and movement for complex figural compositions. Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, and other painters of historical subjects in the 17th century continued this practice. Whereas large finished works from Floris's shop probably involved the participation of assistants, head studies were executed by the master himself. This study, which may represent Hercules or a figure from a Last Judgement, is marked with his monogram FFF in the upper-left corner.
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