Studies of a Woman and Her Dress [verso]

Perry, Enoch Wood, Jr.

1860

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Portrait

About this work

This sketch shows a woman’s head and shoulders, drawn in quick, loose lines. Her dress is the main focus—wrinkles and folds are sketched in with light shading. The paper has a warm, tan color, and the drawing looks like it was done fast. The artist used white chalk to highlight parts of the dress, making the fabric stand out. This style of sketching was common for practice—artists would draw quickly to study shapes and light. Check out Enoch Wood Perry to see more of his sketches and how he worked.