Head of an old woman c. 1630

Jan Lievens's "Head of an Old Woman," a charcoal and chalk drawing dating to around 1630, captures the subtle details of age in a profile portrait of an elderly woman. The delicate lines of her face, accentuated by a frilled collar, suggest a life lived with a sense of quiet strength and dignity. The drawing, which is part of the Städel Museum collection, is a poignant reminder of Lievens's talent for capturing human emotion and vulnerability through the human form.