Antoine Watteau, Four
studies of a young woman's head, a
drawing
France, about AD 1716-17
These studies are drawn from a live model.
Watteau has used his favourite combination of black, red and white
chalks. This technique 'à trois
crayons' became widely used by French
artists of the eighteenth century. The upper two studies show her
head from above and looking to the left. The lower two, again from
above, are looking to the right. Three of the heads show the woman
in profile, though at different angles. The head at lower left is
the only one in which we see three-quarters of her face. Two
ribbons in her hair gently fall across her head. He used the model
again for other, similar drawings, but no painting related to this
sheet is
known.
Interestingly, the
red chalk was used in two ways and in two shades. A finer, lighter
red chalk line defines the initial profile, her breast area and
neckline. The other is a rustier, brown colour which, firmly
applied, strengthens the final line of the woman's contour.
Black chalk is used for the shaded areas of her neck and hair, and
is often mixed with the red chalk. White chalk is gently rubbed
onto the surface for highlights. With all of the chalks Watteau
made stronger lines alongside thinner ones to provide texture. He
then shaded in between these lines or rubbed the chalk with his
fingers.
Like most of
Watteau's drawings from a live model, this sheet possesses
a great sense of fluency, immediacy and freshness. Interestingly, a
fifth head is visible underlying the hair of the woman at the lower
right.
J. Rowlands, Master drawings and watercolou (London, The British Museum Press, 1984)
P. Hulton, Watteau: drawings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1980)
M. Royalton-Kisch, H. Chapman and S. Coppel, Old Master drawings from the M, exh. cat. (London, The British Museum Press, 1996)
P. Rosenberg and L.A. Prat, Antoine Watteau 1684-1721: cat (Milan, Leonardo Arte, 1996)
M.M. Grasselli and P. Rosenberg, Watteau 1684-1721 (Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, 1984)