Artwork
Head
Head is an unspecified painting by the Cubism Synthetic artist Alfred Maurer. It dates from 1928 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a solitary woman rendered in muted tones, her expression conveying quiet introspection. Maurer employs simplified forms and a restrained palette to suggest an inner emotional state rather than a literal narrative, inviting viewers to contemplate the subject's psychological presence.
History & Provenance
The painting Head by Alfred Maurer, created in 1928, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work depicts a woman and remains part of the museum's permanent holdings. No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1928, Head is a painted portrait by American modernist Alfred Maurer. Executed within the synthetic phase of Cubism, the work presents a solitary female figure rendered in a flattened, abstracted manner. The painting belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Technique & Style
Employing synthetic Cubist principles, Maurer simplifies forms and integrates muted tonal planes. The figure’s hair is pulled back and the attire, a dark cloak or dress, merges with the background, reinforcing a flattened spatial illusion. Brushwork is restrained, emphasizing geometric simplification over realistic modeling.
Context
Maurer’s career unfolded amid a transatlantic exchange of modernist ideas, with synthetic Cubism offering a framework for artists seeking to reconcile abstraction and representation. Head reflects this dialogue, aligning the artist’s American perspective with the broader European movement that reshaped portraiture in the 1920s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alfred Henry Maurer (April 21, 1868 – August 4, 1932) was an American modernist painter.
