Head Study of a Girl in a Hat

'Head Study of a Girl in a Hat,' painted by Pitthordt in 1901, belongs to the tradition of the têtes d'expression—studies of human faces in varied conditions—that formed part of every academically trained painter's practice. The specific detail of the hat situates the study within the fashion of the period: women's headwear at the turn of the century was elaborate and socially coded, making the hat as much a characterising element as the sitter's facial expression. Such studies served both to develop portraiture skills and as potentially saleable exhibition pieces. The Slovak National Gallery holds the work.

The study format permits close focus on the face and hat, handled with freshness appropriate to an exploratory work rather than a finished commission. The hat's structure and ornamental details are rendered with attention to their formal complexity against the softer treatment of skin tones.