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Bust of a Young Girl

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux

1860

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Bust of a Young Girl is a 1860 ink by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
When & what style?: 1860 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a young girl’s face and shoulders turned slightly away. Her hair is drawn in quick, wavy lines, and her expression is calm but serious. The paper has a warm, aged tone, with some smudges and faint marks around the edges. The artist used a fine, precise line to capture her features, especially the hair and collar. This was done with a technique that scratches into the metal plate before printing. Next, look up etching to see how artists create detailed sketches like this.