French School, Dated 1907 - Portrait Of A Young Girl In A White Headdress

French School, dated 1907
Portrait of a Young Girl with a White Headscarf


Charcoal on laid paper with watermark "CF" in a shield with caduceus (Canson Frères)

45 × 35 cm

Signed and dated lower left: "10 – 07"

Excellent condition

Provenance
Private collection, France

Description and commentary
This delicate and introspective portrait depicts a young girl in three-quarter view, her gaze lowered in silent reverie. She wears a white headscarf tied at the nape of the neck, rendered with quiet precision. The features of her face are softly modelled, expressing a calm and meditative presence. The surrounding background is composed of dense vertical hatching, which frames the figure and enhances the contemplative mood.

Executed in 1907, this drawing reflects the subdued, naturalistic aesthetic of the early 20th century in France. Its intimate and restrained tone recalls the quiet emotional depth found in works by artists such as Émile Friant, Jean-François Raffaëlli, René Ménard, or members of Charles Cottet’s circle — painters who often focused on provincial subjects and conveyed the inner life of ordinary figures.

The laid paper bears a clear watermark: a shield enclosing a caduceus and the initials "CF", identifying it as a high-quality sheet manufactured by Canson Frères, a paper mill widely used by artists and academic institutions during the late 19th century.

Dated but unsigned, this sheet may have been executed by a student or young artist trained in the discipline of academic drawing. Its sensitivity and restraint make it a quiet testament to the enduring strength of portraiture at the turn of the century.