Angel
1915
charcoal
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1915
charcoal
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Angel is a 1915 charcoal by Karel Vitezslav Masek, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a pale face with soft, wavy hair framing it. The person wears a loose robe with a simple collar, drawn in light lines. The background is a plain, warm brown circle, and the whole image looks like it was made with quick, sketchy strokes. The artist used mostly charcoal, leaving some areas rough and others slightly smudged. The face has a calm, almost dreamy look, with faint shading under the eyes. Check out the technique: scumbling to see how artists create soft textures like this.
