Head of a Woman; Study for a mural in the Church of Saint-Paul, Nîmes

Hippolyte Flandrin

1846–49 · Graphite · Drawings and Prints

The inscription on this drawing associates it with the major decoration project executed by Flandrin for the newly constructed Church of Saint-Paul in Nîmes. This head study may be preparatory for one of the angels who appear in the upper register of the choir. In its careful observation and execution, it verges on a portrait, demonstrating the refinement of Flandrin’s draftsmanship. A letter from the artist in 1853 that has stayed with the drawing suggests that Flandrin offered it as a token of thanks to Charles Léon Vinit (1806−1862), an artist who was principal agent at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, in exchange for allowing one of his students to audit a class at the Ecole.

Artist

Hippolyte Flandrin

Date

1846–49

Medium

Graphite

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Bequest of Harvey Salzman, 2022