Head of a Woman

Head of a Woman, dated around 1503 and among Dürer's studies of female physiognomy, belongs to his systematic investigation of the human face as the primary vehicle for psychological and spiritual expression. His theoretical writings on human proportion and the representation of the ideal human body are complemented by these observed studies of specific faces — the empirical foundation on which his idealist theories were tested and qualified. The woman's head, rendered with the precision of a trained draftsman and the warmth of a genuine observer, belongs to the tradition of life study that Dürer established as the foundation of Northern Renaissance artistic education.

Executed with Dürer's refined oil technique, the study captures subtle tonal gradations in the flesh and demonstrates his ability to render individual character with economy and sensitivity.