Female Portrait Head 1858

Elizabeth Murray created this delicate ‘Female Portrait Head’ with graphite and gouache on paper. Notice how the oval composition draws your eye to the gentle expression of the sitter, her gaze direct and engaging. The colour palette is restrained, with soft hues of pink and grey that create a serene and almost ethereal quality. Murray’s skillful use of light and shadow models the form of the face and drapes, while the texture varies from smooth skin to the intricate lace. The artwork reflects a broader interest in capturing individual likeness, which gained prominence with the rise of bourgeois culture and the desire for personal identity to be captured. Murray’s piece is not just a record of physical appearance but also an exploration of the sitter’s inner life and her place within the social fabric of the time. This artistic choice encourages ongoing dialogue about identity, representation, and the subjective nature of portraiture.