Portrait de femme de profil en buste 1905

Giovanni Boldini made this portrait drawing of a woman in profile, probably with charcoal, maybe even conté crayon. The medium is key here, because the piece feels like an exploration of line and shape, caught in the act, rather than something polished. I’m drawn to the way he captures the weight of her hair, these broad sweeping gestures. The hair is more defined than other parts of the body. It's really doing the work of describing her mood; pensive, maybe even a little melancholy. Notice the pressure he uses in the strokes around her head and then compare that to the rest of the sketch. It’s as if the line almost fades away as it reaches the body, like she is disappearing. It reminds me of some of Degas's portrait sketches, capturing a fleeting moment in time, with a sense of intimacy and immediacy. It's not so much about perfection as it is about capturing the essence of a feeling. These drawings can show us that beauty is not always in the details but in the suggestion.