Two Heads

1875-1880

John Singer Sargent

Associated Names
John Singer Sargent

Artist, American, 1856 - 1925

The image shows two profile sketches of a person's head, focusing on the nose, mouth, and chin. The head is slightly tilted downwards with closed eyes in a restful position. Facial features are outlined with shading, emphasizing contours. The hair is depicted with dark lines blending into the background of cross-hatched pencil strokes. The sketches on a simple piece of paper with minimal additional detailing, showcasing the face and shading techniques.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Miss Emily Sargent and Mrs. Violet Sargent Ormond (sisters of the artist), Surrey, England; National Gallery (now known as the Smithsonian American Art Museum), Washington, DC, 1929, left in storage at the Corcoran Gallery of Art; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1949; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1983

  • John Singer Sargent: Drawings from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, 1983, pp. 15, 48, fig. 4, no. 20, repro

1999

  • "Sketch Everything and Keep Your Curiosity Fresh": Sargent Drawings from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1999

Bibliography

1967

  • Gross, Ellen, and James Harithas. Drawings by John Singer Sargent in the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Alhambra, California: Borden, 1967.

1983

  • Simmons, Linda Crocker and with the assistance of Adrianne J. Humphrey, et al. American Drawings, Watercolors, Pastels, and Collages in the Collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1983: p. 104, no. 682.

Inscriptions

lower left in graphite by unknown hand: J.S.274a

Wikidata ID

Q64584010

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