Head of a Child 1720 - 1740

This is an anonymous drawing of a child’s head in black and white chalk on brownish paper. It’s a study, sketched to capture the child's likeness. In earlier centuries, wealthy families commissioned portraits of children to record their growth and lineage. But what are the social conditions that make this artwork possible? The image is anonymous, suggesting it was not a formal commission. Perhaps this was produced in an art academy. In the 18th and 19th centuries, art academies were the primary institutions for training artists. Students routinely practiced drawing the human form. Children, of course, would have been less common than adults as models. To understand this artwork, we need to know the prevailing social attitudes towards children at the time it was made. Researching the history of art education will help us to understand this sensitive drawing.