Head of Solomon (recto); Classical Head (verso) 1812

This is Benjamin Robert Haydon’s drawing, Head of Solomon, made on paper using graphite. The work presents a figure staring directly at the viewer. Haydon's use of line is striking; firm strokes define the contours of the face and crown, lending a sculptural quality to the head. The consistent tone of the graphite creates an almost classical smoothness. The subject is seemingly suspended in the pictorial space, due to the limited attention to background or context. This sharp focus isolates and elevates the subject. Haydon’s artistic practice was deeply engaged with the revival of classical ideals, but here, he appears to be using the classical form to explore something more psychological. The intensity in the figure’s gaze speaks not only to the aesthetic values of the time, but also to more enduring concerns about power, representation, and the human condition. This piece is an invitation to consider how artistic form mediates between the historical and the existential.