Girl's Head 1918

Marie Laurencin created this drawing, Girl’s Head, using soft, smudgy marks to create this delicate, dream-like portrait. It’s a wonderful example of how just a few well-placed lines and tones can evoke a whole mood. You can almost feel the softness of her charcoal as she works. The surface has a hazy, ethereal quality, which is achieved through the blending of tones to give a sense of depth. Laurencin uses a very limited palette, mostly blacks and grays, with just a touch of blue in the hummingbird that sits near her face. Look at the way Laurencin smudges the charcoal to create a soft shadow on the girl's cheekbone, it’s a simple mark, but it gives the whole face definition. There is a delicacy in common with Suzanne Valadon, but Laurencin’s work feels more elusive, capturing a fleeting, almost melancholic beauty. There are no answers here, only questions, and that's what makes it so compelling.