1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Study of the Head of a Man Reading (Etude de tete d'homme lisant) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a man’s head turned slightly to the side, his hair drawn in thick, tangled lines. The lines are loose and wavy, almost like quick strokes. His eyes are down, maybe reading, and the background is just faint lines—no details, just texture. The artist used a scratchy method to make the lines pop. The paper has a rough look, like the marks were made by pressing hard with a sharp tool. Next, look up etching to see how this technique works.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
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