Head of an Angel (recto); Head of a Woman (verso)

about 1890

Medium

Black chalk and opaque watercolor, on canvas

Dimensions

70 × 48.8 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-201331

In this head study, the artist has cast a child into the role of an angel. The youth’s face is turned towards their left shoulder, their eyes downcast, with a halo peeking from behind their head. The palette is soft and muted, with touches of color in the yellow halo and pale blue strokes that offset the angel’s face. Michetti used the interplay of wet and dry media to create an extraordinary range of tones. A large graphic “M” floats at the top right corner. On the verso is a head study of a woman, which the artist executed in a coarser, more dramatic fashion. Her head is also turned towards her left shoulder, but she wears a more somber expression. Strands of hair escape from her bun, framing her face and giving her likeness a forlorn appearance. Michetti produced numerous head studies throughout his career, often in preparation for his paintings or as independent exercises. The use of canvas, coupled with the partial signature above the angel, might indicate that the work was a project that the artist abandoned.