Hoofd van een onbekende man 1748 - 1806

Edward Edwards made this etching of an unknown man’s head sometime around the late 18th century. Edwards was a British artist known for his portraits and history paintings, and was a professor of perspective at the Royal Academy. This drawing would likely have served as a study for a larger work. If we look closely at the detail in the face, we can see that the anonymous figure has distinct and even individualized features. Edwards probably selected the sitter to reflect the popular ideals of masculinity prominent in England at the time. Beards like this one were a symbol of wisdom and virility, which is why they were favored by gentlemen and artists as well as by ancient philosophers. The task of art historians is to investigate those cultural codes by analyzing the history of fashion and taste. By doing so, we contextualize the role that Edwards and the Royal Academy played in shaping the aesthetic values of the era.