Artwork
Three Oriental Heads
Three Oriental Heads is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist John Hamilton Mortimer. It dates from 1772 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1772, *Three Oriental Heads* is a pen-and-ink drawing on laid paper by the British artist John Hamilton Mortimer. Executed with swift, gestural strokes, the work presents three partially turned profiles, one shaded by a hat, another by a headscarf, rendered in varying line thickness to suggest volume.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on the study of individual faces rather than narrative content, emphasizing the expressive qualities of the figures. The inclusion of oriental attire reflects an 18th‑century European fascination with exotic dress, serving as a visual exploration of character and costume.
Technique & Style
Mortimer employed loose, confident lines and cross‑hatching to model the facial planes and fabric folds. The laid paper’s texture contributes to the drawing’s tactile quality, while the varied ink density creates depth without reliance on fine detail, a common approach in rapid life studies of the period.
History & Provenance
The drawing belongs to Mortimer’s late period, when he produced several studies that echo the dramatic vigor of Salvator Rosa’s work. Mortimer, who presided over the Society of Artists in 1774, died three years later in 1779. The piece’s ownership trail prior to its current collection remains undocumented.
Context
During the 1770s Mortimer shifted focus toward expressive, character‑centric sketches, often inspired by his Italian travels and contemporary war scenes. *Three Oriental Heads* aligns with this phase, illustrating his interest in capturing fleeting gestures and diverse physiognomies within a single sheet.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Hamilton Mortimer (17 September 1740 – 4 February 1779) was a British figure and landscape painter and printmaker, known for romantic paintings set in Italy, works depicting conversations, and works drawn in the…
![Mucius Scaevola [recto], by John Hamilton Mortimer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-hamilton-mortimer--mucius-scaevola-recto--0de678fa443f7962-w320.webp)
![Female Figure (Penitent Magdalene?) [verso], by Donato Creti](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/donato-creti--female-figure-penitent-magdalene-verso--b0756d00ad6853a6-w320.webp)