Turban c. 1936

Melita Hofmann made this drawing of a turban with graphite on paper. I wonder if the artist was working quickly, seizing the image of the turban in a flurry of observational energy? Maybe she saw someone wearing this turban in the street, and the whole image just came to her like a flash of lightning. The work is simple but precise, with a careful attention to the textures of the fabric and the intricacies of the ropes which give it form. Hofmann has successfully captured how the turban sits on the head, how it folds and pleats. It reminds me of the work of other portraitists interested in representing the image of their sitter in a realistic manner, such as Holbein. I like to imagine Hofmann in conversation with these artists. She is part of a long tradition. All artists are!