Head of a Man, with Various Studies
1850
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Sanford Robinson Gifford
Greenfield, New York 1823–1880 New York, New York
See the richer artist page1850
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Head of a Man, with Various Studies is a 1850 ink by Sanford Robinson Gifford, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a man’s face drawn in loose, quick lines, with his hands resting on his chin. Around him are smaller, rougher drawings—skulls, a woman’s head, and a few odd figures. The paper is light and the ink looks scratchy, almost like notes jotted down fast. The mix of faces and skulls suggests the artist was playing with ideas about life and death. The big portrait feels serious, but the smaller sketches look like doodles. If you like this sketchy style, look up cross-hatching next.
Greenfield, New York 1823–1880 New York, New York
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