Untitled
1854
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1854
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This sketch shows a woman’s head turned slightly away, her hair pulled back under a lace cap tied under her chin. A simple earring glints in her ear, and the collar of her dress has a scalloped edge with tiny stitches drawn in. The paper has a warm, aged tone, and the lines are loose but careful, like quick notes. The artist signed it in the corner with the year *1854*—way before Impressionism really took off. That’s odd for a style this sketch-happy. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with just lines.
