Head of a Girl 1837 - 1911

Curator: Here we have Alphonse Legros' "Head of a Girl," created sometime between 1837 and 1911. It’s a pencil drawing, a print, residing here at the Metropolitan Museum. It is incredibly subtle work! Editor: Subtlety is definitely the word. It’s almost like a whisper on paper, isn’t it? Ghostly, ethereal, very delicate, but I am also drawn in immediately to the look in her eyes. It's both sad and knowing. Curator: Indeed! Her gaze holds a certain symbolic weight, reminiscent of idealized female figures common in that era, and I see a touch of melancholy there that goes beyond simple portraiture. It speaks of suppressed emotions. Editor: Do you think it has a theatrical feeling? Those underlinings by the artist near the neck gives the sitter an elegance but there is also something unsettling, which, to me, amplifies her innocence and vulnerability. Maybe it is naive of me to make these readings. Curator: Not naive at all. It's fascinating how academic art can hold that tension between formal beauty and underlying disquiet. Looking at her features—the soft curls framing her face, the delicate modeling—it’s easy to see echoes of classical ideals of feminine beauty. Consider her position, centered in the piece; and how the artist captures the soft nuances and variations. Editor: Right, she's so centered and there is something archetypal about it—every "girl", every loss of innocence... Did I also mention she appears tired? Maybe tired of a society she will inherit soon? Curator: And there is that hint of tiredness that does seem to weigh on her. Those ever-so-slightly drooped features add a psychological complexity to what might otherwise be a straightforward study. Her tired and resigned countenance really speaks of inner turmoil. Editor: It really is something special about art. Here we stand talking to what seems to be a projection on her part and we have barely begun scratching the surface! Thanks for illuminating so well Legros’ symbols. Curator: And thank you, too, for voicing our personal takes. Together, let's hope that the image reveals more nuances.