Head of a Peasant Woman by Léon Augustin Lhermitte

Head of a Peasant Woman 1874

drawing

charcoal drawing

charcoal art

portrait reference

pencil drawing

portrait head and shoulder

france

animal drawing portrait

portrait drawing

facial portrait

portrait art

fine art portrait

Léon Augustin Lhermitte's 1874 charcoal drawing, "Head of a Peasant Woman," is a poignant example of the artist's focus on portraying the lives of rural working-class people. The piece, currently housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, features a woman's head and shoulders, her gaze directed upwards in a thoughtful or perhaps melancholic manner. The delicate lines and subtle shading of Lhermitte's drawing create a sense of realism, bringing to life the weathered features and simple attire of his subject. This drawing serves as a testament to Lhermitte's talent for capturing the dignity and resilience of ordinary people.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

⋮

Léon-Augustin Lhermitte’s sympathetic and informed portrayals of country life proved popular with Parisian audiences. In this accomplished study, we see him treating his humble subject with the same dignity and intense scrutiny that other artists devoted to paying sitters. The woman’s careworn face reveals inner strength even as her averted eyes suggest world-weary preoccupations. Lhermitte has captured the loose fleshiness of her neck, the hair that refuses to be contained by her bonnet. He took full advantage of the rough texture of his paper, sometimes letting it keep the full load of pigment from the tip of his charcoal, sometimes smoothing over the texture by gently smearing his marks.