Study of female head for The Cadence of Autumn 1905

Evelyn De Morgan made this drawing, a preparatory study for a painting, using soft, smudgy charcoal and chalk. You can almost see her hand at work, gently coaxing the image out of the paper. I wonder what De Morgan was thinking as she rendered this face. Was she trying to capture a specific likeness, or was she more interested in the play of light and shadow across the model’s features? I see her tracing the line of the jaw, and softening the edges of the hair, using broad, sweeping gestures. She uses a mix of peach, tan, and brown tones to create depth and dimension in the model's face. The subtle gradations of color give the portrait an ethereal quality, as if the figure is emerging from a dream. De Morgan reminds me of other artists like Burne-Jones or even Rossetti. All of these artists are in conversation, influencing each other, borrowing ideas, and pushing the boundaries of art. And that's how art evolves, through this constant exchange of ideas, where artists inspire one another.