Silhouette of a Young Girl 

John White Alexander made this artwork, Silhouette of a Young Girl, using charcoal and chalk, probably at the end of the 19th century. It depicts a young woman in profile, her features softened by the medium, set against a stark, dark background. Alexander, an American expatriate, moved among artistic circles that saw the aesthetic value of subtle tonal gradations as an escape from the harsher realities of industrializing societies. The silhouette itself, fashionable in the 18th and 19th centuries, implies a shadow of the sitter rather than an individualized, penetrating likeness. One could see this artistic choice as a comment on portraiture, turning away from the grand style of academic painting. It may also reflect the artist’s social milieu, a world in which artistic conventions around portraits allowed a glimpse into the sitter’s world while stopping short of full, democratic access. To truly understand the image, we might consult publications and records from the period that discuss the contemporary debates around portraiture. The meaning of art always depends on its historical context.