Study of a Man's Head
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-491-9
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Antoine Watteau, a leading figure of the French Rococo movement (1684–1721), is celebrated for his delicate, theatrical scenes of aristocratic leisure known as *fêtes galantes*. This *Study of a Man's Head*, dated 1734—a dozen years after his early death—likely represents a posthumous print reproduction one of his preparatory drawings. Such studies highlight Watteau's masterful draftsmanship, capturing expressive faces with fluid lines and subtle modeling that influenced generations of artists. As a print in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, acquired through the Advisory Counc...