The Parisian Woman

This charming pen and ink drawing depicts a 19th century lady in striking detail. Her curly hair is lovingly depicted with individual lines, and the broad strokes of layered ink provide a convincing representation of areas of shadow and creasing on her dress. Her face is incredibly naturalistic, with hatching denoting the shape of her nose and the skin underneath her chin. Her gaze is angled downwards rather than at the viewer, creating the sense that the lady is lost in thought.

The drawing is completed on paper that bears the Amalfi watermark. Amalfi was the first place in Europe to produce paper, with mills dating back to the 13th century. Their paper was sought-after, and was used in ecclesiastical, archival, and legal documentation. It is possible that the artist of this work travelled to Amalfi during a tour of Italy and obtained a book of Amalfi paper, deciding to use it to sketch a travel companion or close acquaintance.