A Distraught Woman with Her Head Thrown Back

1775/80

Jacques-Louis David

Associated Names
Jacques-Louis David

Artist, French, 1748 - 1825

This drawing depicts the full body of a woman facing the right in a dramatic pose. The woman is standing on one leg, with the other leg slightly bent and lifted behind her, appearing to rest on the step of a staircase. Her head is tilted back, and both arms are extended, one in front of her toward the right and the other raised above her head, almost towards the top right corner. The woman's facial features are faint, with small lines suggesting a slightly open mouth and a furrowed brow. She has long, wavy hair that cascades down her back, and she is dressed in a loose, flowing garment with folds and shading. The background is plain aside from the steps below her, although the woman casts a dark shadow.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and black ink with gray wash over black chalk on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Patrons' Permanent Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 19.6 x 15 cm (7 11/16 x 5 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1998.105.1.bbb

Associated Artworks

See all 86 artworks
This is a photograph of a textured brown cover with an intricate pattern. The cover has a rich, earthy tone with a subtle and complex swirling pattern across the surface. It appears to be an old book or journal cover, with a darker brown border outlining it. There is a handwritten red and black text near the top. The overall appearance suggests a vintage or antique quality, with signs of wear along the edges.

Roman Album No. 4: Italian Landscapes and Antiquities

Jacques-Louis David

1775

The image shows a person walking to the right, holding an object in their right hand. They are wearing an ancient Roman or Greek-style draped garment with a head covering. The person's face is in profile, looking slightly upward. Garlands with objects like a basket and cloth hang in the air around them. The background is plain, emphasizing the person and the hanging objects.

Ornament with a Bearded Man in Ancient Dress

Jacques-Louis David

1775

This image shows an illustration of a woman standing upright. She is wearing flowing garments that suggest movement, with one knee bent as if in motion. Her hair is styled in tight curls and appears to be pulled back. The woman's facial expression is focused as she gazes upward or forward. She seems to be holding something in her right hand, while her left arm is hidden. The background is plain.

Niobe and Her Daughter

Jacques-Louis David

1775


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Estate of the artist (sale, Paris, 17 April 1826, under no. 66; withdrawn); Mme. David (sale, Paris, 11 March 1835, under no. 16); purchased by one of David's pupils, Mlle. X (name obliterated);[1] by descent in her family; (Bruno de Bayser, Paris); purchased 1998 by NGA.
[1] According to inscription on flyleaf.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2009

  • Renaissance to Revolution: French Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, 1500-1800. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2009, 256-258, 261, 291, no. 112d (color).

Bibliography

2002

  • Rosenberg, Pierre, and Louis-Antoine Prat. Jacques-Louis David, 1748-1825: Catalogue raisonné des dessins. 2 vols. Milan, 2002, 1: no. 642.

Inscriptions

upper right in black ink: 27; lower left: paraphes of E.D. and J.D.

Wikidata ID

Q64580199

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