Hoofd van een meisje en profil naar links 1780 - 1849

David-Pierre Giottino Humbert de Superville captured this profile of a girl in a delicate pencil drawing. The subject is depicted with neoclassical precision, her gaze serene, reflecting the aesthetic ideals of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when artists and philosophers explored themes of reason, order, and beauty. During this period, society's views on women were often contradictory. On one hand, they were celebrated as symbols of virtue and domesticity, yet simultaneously denied many basic rights and freedoms. Here, the girl's refined features and elegant attire speak to her social standing, hinting at a life of privilege and constraint. Her headwear, a stylish turban-like wrap adorned with a flower, suggests an engagement with the fashion trends which were symptomatic of the time. Yet, the softness in her eyes evokes a sense of interiority, inviting contemplation about her individual experiences and aspirations within a society that greatly prescribed gender roles. This image reflects both the visible and invisible aspects of a young woman's life in a transformative era.