“Study of heads, figures, and foliage” is a sketch and study executed by the Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich in 1802. The artwork portrays various detailed studies of heads, human figures, and foliage, characteristic of the Romanticism movement.
The artwork depicts an assortment of subjects meticulously sketched in pencil and possibly ink. In the upper left corner, there is a detailed rendition of large foliage. Adjacent to it, on the right, stands a solitary figure attired in a coat and hat, facing away from the observer. Below these, different human interactions are illustrated: two women cloaked in dresses embrace one another, and below them three people are engaged in what appears to be an artist at work. Various studies of heads are scattered throughout the artwork: one elderly figure wearing a hat on the upper-right and another seemingly younger figure at the bottom-right. The studies demonstrate Friedrich’s careful observation and rendering of human expression and posture, as well as his interest in integrating the natural world into his works.
