Head of an English Girl 1961

Larry Rivers made this print titled, Head of an English Girl, in 1961 using lithography. Rivers' process here is all about immediacy. The marks are laid down quickly, almost violently. Look at the top of the head, how the black ink bleeds into the white paper. The texture is rough, unfinished, and full of energy. It gives the sense that Rivers wasn't interested in perfection, but in capturing a feeling, an impression. The stark contrast between the black ink and the white paper emphasizes the raw quality of the medium. The marks around the eyes and mouth show the artist’s urgent need to describe a face in the simplest terms. Rivers reminds me of artists like Manet, who were also pushing the boundaries of representation. It’s like Rivers is saying, “Here’s a face, but it’s also just ink on paper, a conversation, a dance between what we see and what we know.”