A Girl's Head - G
published 1919
Medium
etching
Dimensions
sheet: 28.9 × 22.5 cm (11 3/8 × 8 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.5121
Art Historical Context
Augustus John's etching "A Girl's Head - G," published in 1919, reflects the artist's renowned skill in capturing intimate portraits during the early twentieth century. A leading British figure in modern art, John frequently turned to printmaking to explore the human face with sensitivity and economy, producing works that feel both spontaneous and deeply observed. Created in the years following World War I, this small-scale print offers a quiet counterpoint to the era's larger historical narratives. The etching medium itself is central to the work's appeal. By drawing directly on a metal plat...
About the Artist
Augustus John
Augustus Edwin John OM RA (1878–1961) was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher whose prodigious early gifts made him the most celebrated portraitist in Britain during the first decades of the twentieth century. Born on 4 January 1878 in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, he lost his mother Augusta Smith in childhood, a loss that left a permanent mark on his restless temperament. He and his elder sister Gwe...