Sketches of Heads (from McGuire Scrapbook)
Medium
Graphite on off-white wove paper
Dimensions
7 11/16 x 6 1/4 in. (19.5 x 15.9 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of James C. McGuire, 1926
Accession Number
26.216.43
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the quiet intimacy of graphite sketches, George Augustus Baker Jr. captures the tender features of children's heads in this 1841 work from the McGuire Scrapbook Rendered on off-white w paper—a smooth, affordable medium popular among 19th-century American artistsse delicate drawings measure just 7 11/16 x 6 1/4 inches inviting close contemplation. Baker, an active figure in early American portraiture, employs fine pencil lines and subtle shading to evoke youthful expressions, highlighting the era's fascination with domestic portrait studies. These sketches exemplify the preparatory techniqu...