Five Sketches of Heads
n.d.
Medium
Pen and brown ink on cream wove paper
Dimensions
23.6 × 18 cm (9 5/16 × 7 1/8 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82849
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Samuel Drummond’s “Five Sketches of Heads” invites viewers into the quiet, intimate world of an artist at work. Drawn in pen and brown ink on cream wove paper, the sheet measures just 23.6 by 18 centimeters, small enough to suggest it was carried in a pocket or sketchbook. Each head is rendered with quick, economical strokes that capture fleeting expressions, angles of light, and the subtle tilt of a chin or brow. The medium itself speaks to the drawing’s purpose. Pen and ink encourages spontaneity; lines cannot be erased, so every mark records a decisive observation. Such studies were essential tools for artists like Drummond, allowing them to explore character and form before committing to larger paintings or prints. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings department, the sheet reminds us that finished masterpieces often begin with these modest, unpretentious moments of looking.