Head of a Girl

Maker Joseph Edward Southall (British, 1861 - 1944)

Additional Title(s)

Head of a girl
Portrait head of a girl

Collections

Arts and Crafts Movement

ClassificationsDRAWINGS

Date1899

Mediummetal point on paper prepared with white ground

Dimensions7 7/8 × 7 in. (20 × 17.8 cm.) frame: 13 × 12 3/8 × 1 1/2 in. (33 × 31.4 × 3.8 cm.)

DescriptionDepiction of a young woman's head and shoulders, with long wavy hair, and downcast eyes.

Signedsigned with monogram

Inscribedsigned with monogram

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Schweppe Art Acquisition Fund

Status

Not on view

Label TextMetalpoint drawings such as this one require a skilled hand and concentrated effort. They are typically made on a sheet of paper that has been prepared with a ground. Southall made his own white ground by hand, creating a smooth surface that allowed him to use a metal stylus to produce a carefully controlled line. This drawing reveals Southall’s ability to capture both the physical appearance and inner character of this unknown woman. The downward tilt of her head and her faraway gaze, heightened by the light reflected in her eyes and the shadow on her brow, lend the image an air of introspection (2022).

Object number2001.19