The head of a young man, lost profile to left.

The attribution of this imposing drawing has been much debated. It comes from the Carracci sequence and was catalogued by Wittkower as Annibale, but with the note that its 'originality is more open to question; however, [it is] not so far removed from the originals as to warrant [its] inclusion amongst the studio drawings.'

Notes on the mount opine that it is 'Certamente' by Pietro Faccini' (Mario Di Giampaolo, 1992), and in response 'Certamente Annibale!" (Aidan Weston-Lewis, 1995). An attribution to Faccini was supported by Nicholas Turner (Burlington Magazine 1992, p.541 - 'unquestionably by Faccini'), following an indication by Kate Ganz, and Andrea Czere (letter, 1992). The morphology of the face, with heavy jaw and fleshy lips and nose, does support an attribution to Faccini, as does the simplified and dense use of oiled charcoal. 

The size of the drawing suggests that it was a study for a painting, but no figure in exactly this attitude can be found in the paintings of either Annibale or Faccini.