Study of a Head
1826 to 1850
Medium
graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 38 x 28.2 cm (14 15/16 x 11 1/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.5522
Art Historical Context
**Study of a Head** by Alphonse Leg invites visitors into the intimate world of 19th-century draftsmanship. Created between 1826 and 1850, this graphite drawing on laid paper measures 38 28.2 cm and captures the artist's keen observation of human form. Legros, a-born artist who later became a pivotal figure in British art education, was renowned for his realistic portrayals influenced by Spanish masters like Ribera. As a study, it exemplifies preparatory work, where artists honed their skills through focused explorations of heads—essential for larger paintings or prints. The medium of graphit...
About the Artist
Alphonse Legros · 1837–1911
Alphonse Legros (1837–1911) was born in Dijon, France, and trained in Paris at the drawing school of Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran, whose unconventional teaching method — which emphasised memory drawing and acute observation over academic convention — would leave a lasting mark on Legros's practice. At Lecoq's school he formed friendships with Jules Dalou and Auguste Rodin that endured throughout hi...