Study of a Head 1837 - 1911

Alphonse Legros made this red chalk drawing, Study of a Head, sometime in the late nineteenth century. The piece offers an intimate glimpse into the emotional life of an older man. Legros, who lived through the profound social changes of 19th-century France, often turned to the working class for his subjects. One can imagine the sitter as one of the many anonymous men who found themselves caught between the pre-industrial past and the rapidly modernizing present. There’s a quiet dignity in his downcast gaze, a refusal to perform for the viewer. Legros avoids idealizing the man. He is not a hero, nor is he presented as particularly noble. Instead, we are confronted with the simple reality of a life marked by hardship and contemplation. The network of lines, rendered in sanguine chalk, traces the contours of the face, while the obscured eyes invite the viewer to imagine the thoughts and experiences that have shaped his identity. The drawing then, resonates as a poignant commentary on the human condition.