Sketch of the Portrait of Constance Pipelet (recto); Head of a Woman (verso) after 1797

This is a preparatory drawing (sketch) for a portrait of Constance Pipelet, a figure of the French Revolution, by French artist Jean Baptiste François Désoria. The drawing is created in charcoal, on paper, and was completed after 1797. The sketch shows a woman in a simple white dress sitting in a chair. It provides a visual record of Désoria's artistic process in creating a full-length portrait of a significant figure of the French Revolution. This work is part of the Art Institute of Chicago's collection.