Head of an Italian Girl (profile)

Head studies of Italian women were a staple of Leighton's practice throughout his years in Rome and on subsequent Italian visits, serving both as independent works of art and as preparatory material for larger compositions. This profile study of an Italian girl, dated 1870, belongs to a tradition that connected academic portrait study with a Romantic interest in authentic local types. The profile view was particularly associated with classical antiquity — ancient Greek and Roman coins, medals, and bas-reliefs habitually presented their subjects in profile — and Leighton's choice of this angle gives the head study an immediate classical authority. Italian women, particularly those from the rural Campagna or the Roman working class, had been favoured as models by artists in Rome since the early nineteenth century; their dark features and strong bone structure were seen as approximating ancient ideals. This study, held at Leighton House, is a refined and concentrated example of Leighton's head-study practice at the beginning of his most productive decade.

The profile view allows Leighton to present the contour of the face as a single unbroken line, exploiting the classical associations of the viewpoint. The modelling of the face is precise, using subtle tonal transitions from highlight to shadow without hard edges. The hair is handled more loosely than the face, providing textural contrast that gives the study visual vitality.