Head of a Man
1886
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1886
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Head of a Man is a 1886 by Alphonse Legros, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A man’s face fills the paper—sharp nose, tired eyes, a few quick lines for stubble. Legros drew this in London, where he taught students to copy old masters. He used metalpoint, a thin metal stylus that scratches faint lines into coated paper. The marks feel alive, like the man just turned his head. Look up *sfumato* to see how softer shading compares to these crisp lines.
