Male – Four Profile Head Sketches of moustached Man 1850 - 1890

Here, we see Sir John Everett Millais’s study of “Male – Four Profile Head Sketches of moustached Man” rendered with graphite on paper. Each head is captured in profile, and arranged in a roughly square composition. The lines are minimal and spare, focusing on the contours of the face, the set of the jaw, and, notably, the varied styles of moustaches. These quick, almost fleeting sketches, are less about portraiture and more about exploring form. Notice how Millais uses the simple act of changing the moustache to alter the character of each face. Millais seems to be dissecting the semiotics of masculinity, using the moustache as a signifier. These are not finished portraits, but studies in the language of appearance, inviting us to consider how even minor adjustments in form can radically shift our perception. Each line then, is part of a larger investigation into the construction of identity itself.