1874
crayon
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Head of a Man Facing Left is a 1874 crayon by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a man’s face turned slightly to the left. His hair and beard are drawn with quick, rough lines that make them look full and textured. The shading is darkest around his eyes and jaw, fading out toward the edges. The artist used only black crayon to create deep shadows and light areas. This makes the face pop against the plain background. The lines aren’t smooth—they feel hurried, like the artist was working fast. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow like this.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
See the richer artist page
