Head of a Woman 1837 - 1911

Alphonse Legros made this red chalk drawing, Head of a Woman, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. This sensitive study connects to a wider movement in European art at the time, namely a greater concern with representing the everyday lives of ordinary people. Legros was among a generation of artists who turned away from depicting scenes of historical grandeur and, instead, focused on the rural poor. The woman’s simple headscarf and downward gaze suggest humility, even hardship. Born in France, Legros spent much of his career in England where he taught at the Slade School of Art. There he encouraged his students to engage with social realism. His institutional role gave him the opportunity to promote the idea of art as a vehicle for social commentary. To understand Legros better, we can look to sources such as letters, exhibition reviews, and school records. These could provide valuable insight into his artistic intentions and his impact on the art world of his time. Art, after all, is never made in a vacuum.