French school, around 1770
Head of a Man wall-eyed
Oil on paper.
380 x 270 mm – 15 x 10 5/8 in.
This beautiful portrait is anonymous. The model is wall-eyed, a physical feature that is rarely emphasized in painting. The freedom of the treatment indicates that this sketch may have been made as a study for a more finished portrait. It could also prepare the figure to be inserted in a larger composition among other figures, which would explain why the look and head are turned to the right instead of looking straight ahead.
