Head of a Chinese Man c. 1932 - 1934

This is Thomas Schofield Handforth's ‘Head of a Chinese Man,’ made with graphite on paper. Look at how the smudgy graphite is used to model the form, soft but strong, giving the face a solid, sculptural feel, as though it were carved from stone. I love to imagine Handforth, bending over the paper, coaxing that likeness into being. He’s pressing hard and then feathering back… going from dark to light, finding the planes of the face, the set of the jaw, the curve of the skull beneath that cap. See how those marks build the whole thing up? You can feel the artist’s hand. You know, making a portrait is kind of like having a conversation. The artist is asking questions, trying to figure out who this person is, what they're thinking. And when we look at it, we’re joining that conversation, adding our own thoughts and feelings. It’s this beautiful, ongoing exchange.