Head of a Man in a Cloth Headdress by John Hamilton Mortimer

Head of a Man in a Cloth Headdress 

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Artwork details

Dimensions
support: 132 x 108 mm
Location
Tate Collections
Copyright
CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate

About this artwork

Curator: Here we have John Hamilton Mortimer's "Head of a Man in a Cloth Headdress", held at the Tate. Editor: Wow, he looks weary, doesn't he? The rapid hatching and the downward gaze give him such a weight. Curator: Indeed. Note the dynamism inherent in the line work. The composition is carefully structured to emphasize the subject’s dejected posture. Editor: It’s like a quick thought, a fleeting moment. He’s there, and then, because of the lines, he's almost gone. Curator: The artist, Mortimer, who died so young, used the graphic medium to capture the psychological depth of his subjects, a trend emergent during the 18th century. Editor: I wonder what he was thinking about. He looks as though he’s carrying the world on his shoulders. Curator: A potent observation. Let's move on to the next piece.

Comments

tate's profile
tateabout 1 year ago

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/mortimer-head-of-a-man-in-a-cloth-headdress-t10130