The Ear of Christ: Anatomical Detail, Morelli and Leonardo

Among the anatomical features of Christ in the Painting, his ear stands out for the shape of its lobe. It seems to be drawn as two successive arcs rather than as a regular curve. This detail recalls Giovanni Morelli’s observations; he paid particular attention to ears when studying works by Bellini, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci.

IR 900 image of the head of Christ Carrying the Cross

Head of Christ Carrying the Cross in IR 900

Infrared 900 close-up of Christ’s ear

Close-up of Christ’s ear in IR 900

The Shape of the Earlobe

The enlarged diagrams make the contour of the earlobe easier to see: a narrow first arc followed by a broader lower arc. Compared with the diagram of a free earlobe, Christ’s ear has a more articulated contour than a simple curve.

Visible and IR 900 images of Christ’s ear compared with a standard free earlobe model

Visible-light and IR 900 images of Christ’s ear compared with a standard model of a free earlobe

A Recurring Ear Shape in Leonardo’s Drawings

The shape observed in the Painting is not unique. In several of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, including profile heads and anatomical studies, the ear has a similar structure: instead of following a single, regular curve, its lower contour narrows before forming a distinct lobe, shaped by two successive curves.

These drawings depict varied subjects and include different kinds of studies: portraits, expressive heads, studies of proportions and anatomical studies. Despite differences in the figures’ ages, head orientation and drawing technique, several show the same sequence: a narrowing at the base of the auricle, an inner curve, then an arc forming the lower edge of the lobe. The comparison with Christ’s ear concerns this contour, not the identity of the ears.

Leonardo da Vinci, caricature of a bald man in profile, RCIN 912489

RCIN 912489 – Caricature of a bald man

Leonardo da Vinci, head of St Bartholomew in profile, RCIN 912548

RCIN 912548 – Head of Saint Bartholomew

Leonardo da Vinci, portrait of a young man in profile, RCIN 912557

RCIN 912557 – Portrait of a young man in profile

Leonardo da Vinci, head and shoulders of a bald man in profile, RCIN 912600

RCIN 912600 – Head and shoulders of a bald man in profile

Leonardo da Vinci, head of a man in profile with proportional studies, RCIN 912606

RCIN 912606 – Profile head with proportional markings

Leonardo da Vinci — Anatomical study of the head and facial muscles, detail — RCIN 919012

RCIN 919012 – Anatomical study of the head ..., detail

Leonardo da Vinci, head of a youth in profile, RCIN 912554

RCIN 912554 – Head of a young man

Leonardo da Vinci, profile of an elderly man, RCIN 970127

RCIN 970127 – Profile of an elderly man

Morelli and Leonardo

Morelli gave particular importance to anatomical details, especially ears, when studying and attributing works of art. The ear model he presents as characteristic of Leonardo in Italian Masters in German Galleries (1883, p. 219), reproduced here with two red arcs, makes it possible to compare that shape with Christ’s earlobe.

The ears in the Adoration of the Magi and in the Windsor drawing (RCIN 912600) offer two further points of comparison. They connect Morelli’s model with works by Leonardo, though the shape of a single ear is not enough to establish an attribution.

Morelli’s model of Leonardo’s ear with double-arc earlobe

Morelli’s published ear model (1883)

Morelli’s model of Leonardo’s ear with two added red arcs

Morelli’s model with two added red arcs

A Significant Morphological Clue

The distinctive shape of Christ’s earlobe, visible in infrared and comparable to Morelli’s model and several of Leonardo’s drawings, is a clue to consider. On its own, it is not enough to attribute the Painting to Leonardo, but it adds to other observations: the underdrawing, pentimenti, the treatment of the face and the differences from Giampietrino’s versions.