Head of a Young Man
1884
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1884
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This sketch shows a young man’s face turned slightly away. His wavy hair is drawn in quick, tight lines, and his mustache is simple but clear. The paper is light, and the shading is soft, almost like smudged pencil strokes. The artist focused on the play of light and shadow on his face. This style was a big deal in the 1800s for making portraits feel real. Look up sfumato next—it’s a technique that blends edges like this.
![Head of a Man [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/d6e68ba78da40efa/thumb.webp)
