Image

A black chalk line drawing of a woman in profile. With her head slightly tilted towards the viewer, she stares skeptically at us and wears an elaborate hat.
RISDM 57-118 verso.tif
RISDM 57-118 verso.tif
A black chalk line drawing of a woman in profile. With her head slightly tilted towards the viewer, she stares skeptically at us and wears an elaborate hat.
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Henry Fuseli

Head of a Lady

Description

Maker

Henry Fuseli (Swiss, 1741-1825)

Title

Head of a Lady

Year

ca. 1810-1815

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

chalk

Supports

Dimensions

40.6 x 23.5 cm (16 x 9 1/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Stamped on recto UR with collector's mark of Susan North (1797-1884; Lugt 1947)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Purchase: Anonymous gift

Object Number

57.118

Type

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Drawing Closer
Four Hundred Years of Drawing from the RISD Museum
Mar 12, 2022 – Sep 04, 2022

Label copy

The subject of this portrait has traditionally been identified as Henry Fuseli’s wife, Sophia Rawlins, who worked as an artist’s model. In his drawings of women, Fuseli often distorted the proportions-as seen in the very elongated neck in this sheet-or depicted his subjects with fantastical headdresses and hairstyles. For these reasons, it is often unclear to what extent his intense depictions were based on observations he made from life.

The Age of Canova
Nov 06, 1957 – Dec 15, 1957

Use & Feedback

Image use

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Henry Fuseli (Swiss, 1741-1825)
Head of a Lady, ca. 1810-1815
Black chalk on laid paper
40.6 x 23.5 cm (16 x 9 1/4 inches)
Museum Purchase: Anonymous gift 57.118

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