Zittende dame met tulband 1840 - 1842

Editor: So, this is 'Zittende dame met tulband', or 'Seated Lady with Turban,' a pencil drawing by Paul Gavarni from around 1840. The woman’s features are so pronounced and the details are captivating, but it does appear unfinished. What strikes you about this particular piece? Curator: Immediately, it's the artist's control over line and form that demands attention. Gavarni employs a cross-hatching technique to define the contours of the figure and suggest the play of light and shadow, which grants a textural quality to the fabric of the turban and the sitter's dress. Notice also the linear perspective implied by the direction of the stripes in her garment; do they guide your eye around the form? Editor: They do! The details definitely draw you in. But, what about her expression? It is so severe; does that tie into how you analyze its formal qualities? Curator: Her countenance contributes significantly. Observe how the angularity of her nose is mirrored in the sharp folds of the fabric around her. These choices establish a formal harmony across the composition. Even the starkness of her stare becomes a focal point around which all other formal decisions appear to orbit. Gavarni focuses more on capturing the form and structure through line, shading, and shape instead of her persona. Editor: I see what you mean, it is about the elements working together in that structured composition to achieve a certain aesthetic effect. Curator: Precisely. Formalism encourages us to move past representational concerns and toward an appreciation of artistic agency through composition, materiality, and the like. I find that more enlightening now. Editor: Right! Seeing it this way, it encourages a more in-depth approach.