Head of a Girl 1600 - 1700

This delicate drawing, “Head of a Girl,” of unknown date and authorship, offers a glimpse into the social conventions of portraiture and representation. The anonymous artist, working in pen and brown ink with gray wash, captures the sitter’s likeness with a focus on her features and hairstyle. This reflects a broader cultural interest in physiognomy, the assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance. Likenesses like these were often commissioned by families of the sitter in the 18th and 19th centuries, forming part of a visual record of lineage and social standing. Yet, its status as an unsigned work complicates its reading as a formal portrait. To truly understand a work like this, it would be necessary to delve into the social history of portraiture, family archives, and perhaps even genealogical records to uncover the girl’s identity. Only then can we fully appreciate the role it played within the broader social and cultural landscape.