Duel after the Masked Ball (recto); Head of a Woman (verso)
1857
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1857
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This sketch shows two people in mid-action, one kneeling with arms raised, the other standing with a cloak draped over their shoulders. On the back of the same paper is a loose, quick drawing of a woman’s face, just eyes and nose, with faint pencil lines. The paper looks worn, with some brown stains and a red mark in the corner. The two figures might be fighting or fleeing—it’s hard to tell. The artist worked fast, leaving some lines rough and others smudged, like they were practicing poses or expressions. If you like loose sketches like this, check out Realism for more artists who focused on raw, honest scenes.
