Studie af to kvindehoveder 1775 - 1779

Curator: This drawing before us, "Studie af to kvindehoveder," or "Study of Two Women’s Heads," was created by Louise-Rosalie Hémery sometime between 1775 and 1779. Editor: They're both very striking. Simple in form but somehow captivating. The use of the reddish pencil on paper gives it this warmth, this immediacy. Curator: Absolutely. We know that Hémery used pencil – dry media– to bring these portraits to life. It's fascinating to consider the paper she chose, where it came from, and how that influenced her mark-making. Editor: Considering the time period, could these studies have been related to the preparation for larger history paintings or portraits, or even teaching? Curator: It's very possible. Academic drawing often relied on studies like these to explore anatomy and composition, particularly focusing on idealized beauty standards perpetuated by institutions of the time. And, of course, we have to consider the salon system. Who was commissioning and buying these pieces? How were women artists, in particular, positioned within that network? Editor: And even the materiality – that very paper, that specific pencil – dictated to some extent the range of tones, the subtlety of shadow she could achieve. Curator: Exactly. The choice of these "humble" materials brings us closer to the process, to the labor involved. And maybe subverts the idea of fine art altogether, if we value skill over intrinsic material value. Editor: I'm intrigued by the gaze of the figure on the left. She seems so self-possessed. Curator: And I think situating Hémery within the broader artistic context helps us understand what statements about beauty, representation, and class she might have been making – or forced to comply with. Editor: Ultimately, these heads capture something ephemeral, and through an attention to both the hand of the artist and her context, we are better able to value what she brought to the art of her day. Curator: A potent reminder that even preliminary sketches contain entire worlds of artistic intention, labor, and historical context.