The artwork titled “Head of a Young Roman Girl” is a portrait crafted by artist Edgar Degas in 1856. Executed using charcoal, pencil, and stump, it is associated with the Realism art movement. The piece measures 37.8 by 25.8 cm and is currently housed at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
“Head of a Young Roman Girl” by Edgar Degas is a strikingly tender and nuanced work. The portrait features a young girl in a contemplative pose, gazing off to the side. The use of charcoal and pencil is masterful, with Degas employing stump techniques to soften and blend the shading, thereby creating a realistic depiction of the subject’s facial features and expression. Her attire is lightly sketched, placing the emphasis on her face and the capturing of her gaze, which is indicative of Degas’s attention to detail and ability to convey character and mood. The textural contrast between the softly rendered flesh and the crisper lines of her clothing and hat adds depth to the drawing. Although the portrait is rooted in realism, characteristic of Degas’s early work, it also hints at the sensitivity and psychological insight for which he would later be renowned.
