Artwork
Head of a Young Woman Wearing a Hat
Head of a Young Woman Wearing a Hat is a chalk print by the Romanticist artist Gilles Demarteau the Elder. It dates from 1773 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Head of a Young Woman Wearing a Hat is a 1773 print by Gilles‑Demarteau the Elder. Executed in black and red chalk on laid paper, the work presents a single figure rendered in a compact, portrait‑like format. The piece belongs to the print medium and reflects the artist’s practice of producing finely detailed chalk manner images for the market of the late eighteenth century.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a young woman whose head is slightly turned to the right. Her dark hair is gathered back, and she wears a loose jacket or shawl beneath a hat. The expression is subdued, with down‑cast eyes, a faint smile, and gently furrowed brows, conveying a quiet, introspective mood rather than overt narrative content.
Technique & Style
Demarteau employed a chalk manner technique, using black and red chalk to create bold outlines and subtle shading on laid paper. The contrast between the dark lines and the warmer red tones gives the figure a sense of volume, while the laid texture of the support adds a tactile quality typical of French prints of the period.
History & Provenance
Created in 1773, the print was produced during the later phase of Demarteau’s career, when he was known for reproducing fashionable portraiture for a growing bourgeois clientele. While specific ownership records are limited, the work survives in several museum collections, illustrating its continued circulation as an example of eighteenth‑century French printmaking.
Artist & collection
