Sketch of a Woman's Head 1895 - 1900

This is Theodore Roussel's "Sketch of a Woman's Head," a small etching printed on paper, currently residing at the Art Institute of Chicago. The immediate impression is one of delicate precision. Note the intricate network of fine lines forming the woman’s features. The shading is achieved through cross-hatching, creating a sense of depth and volume with minimal means. Roussel's attention to the structure of the head is evident; the planes of the face are carefully articulated, and the hair is rendered with a lively, almost sculptural quality. The sketch bears the hallmarks of a formal approach, typical of late 19th-century aestheticism, where the artwork's intrinsic qualities – line, tone, composition – take precedence over narrative content. This work destabilizes traditional portraiture. By reducing the figure to its essential lines and forms, Roussel invites us to contemplate the very structure of representation and perception, rather than a simple likeness.