Expressive Head
Medium
Lithograph in black on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 44.7 × 40.2 cm (17 5/8 × 15 7/8 in.); Sheet: 55.9 × 44.2 cm (22 1/16 × 17 7/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
39722
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Monumental in scale, but intimate in its arresting gaze, this experimental lithographic study of a young man does not specifically depict any of Le Brun’s passions. The subject’s over-the-shoulder glance expresses a hint of surprise, and a slightly raised eyebrow possibly betrays a guarded sense of longing. The unknown sitter’s luxuriant hair, smooth cheeks, and poetic costume likewise mark him as sensitive Romantic hero.