Head of a Woman, from "Livre de Têtes Gravées d'apres F. Boucher et Autres" (Book of Heads Engraved after F. Boucher and Others)
Original title: Head of a Woman, from "Livre de Têtes Gravées d'apres F. Boucher et Autres" (Book of Heads Engraved after F. Boucher and Others)
kurzbeschreibung
A woman's head in half-length view, executed in the 18th century by an unknown French engraver. The sheet was made as an etching with engraving and belongs to a series of head studies, engraved after designs by François Boucher and other artists.
Description
Turned to the left, the face appears in profile; the hair is wound to one side into a curly knot and adorned with a leaf. Fine, confidently placed lines and hatching shape the cheeks, lids and contours, so that folds and rounded forms stand out with real volume. Because the ground is left empty, the gaze rests entirely on the face. Even light falls across the features, with no hard shadows. The rendering stays black and white throughout.
Context
The series of head studies from which this sheet comes was engraved after designs by Boucher and other artists. In the 18th century painters and draughtsmen used such models in their own work, while collectors valued them as prints in their own right. The series was published anonymously in France, and in it Boucher's idea of an idealized, graceful female face still resonates. Technique and style secure the dating to the 18th century.
Impact
Calm and balanced, the portrait owes much of its effect to the even lighting and the careful linework. The ornamented hairstyle and the empty ground give the head a classical elegance that seems tied to no particular fashion.
Technique
Etching and engraving work together here: fine, evenly drawn lines and precise hatching define the sheet. Trimmed, it measures 17.8 x 13.7 cm, with the plate edge forming the border. The execution remains black and white, as was usual for prints of the period.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)