Portrait of a woman, her head turned to the right, wearing an earring
Joseph Wright (Wright of Derby) British
Not on view
One of the most accomplished, inventive artists of his generation, Wright of Derby was based in the English Midlands but gained a national reputation with his portraits and striking nocturnes. This drawing belongs to a group of a dozen head studies that the artist made for his own pleasure before departing for Italy in 1773. He used grisaille pastels to capture subtle transitions of light and a range of textures. The open-necked informality of the subject's gown, sharply turned head, and averted gaze combine elements of a "character head" with an intimacy one would expect in a portrait of a close friend or family member. To maintain the soft, subtle effects, Wright did not fix his pastels, which makes the survival of this rare drawing in such fine condition astounding.
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