Portrait of a dead man's head 

Karl Anton Reichel made this drawing, Portrait of a dead man's head, with chalk on paper. The drawing employs a limited palette, primarily utilizing white chalk against a brown paper backdrop to depict the head of a deceased man, lending a somber mood. The composition directs our gaze towards the man's face, rendered in profile. Reichel’s approach embodies a stark realism, focusing on the anatomical details of the head. The white chalk delineates the contours and features, while the brown paper acts as a neutral field, enhancing the contrast and emphasizing the subject's pallor. The man's head rests on a pillow, its swirling forms created with gestural lines, which provides a visual texture that both softens and frames the starkness of the portrait. Reichel manipulates the visual elements to underscore the theme of mortality. This portrait transcends simple representation, inviting a deeper consideration of existence and the fragility of life, rendered with both precision and expressive intent.