The Head Of A Little Angel, Academic Study, Florentine School, Late 18th – Early 19th Century

The Head of a Little Angel, Academic Study, Florentine School, Late 18th – Early 19th Century

Florentine School, late 18th – early 19th century.
Pencil on handmade cotton paper.
38 × 25.5 cm.

Study depicting the head of a little angel looking upward. The subject recalls the putti and child figures widely used in Florentine artistic training between the late eighteenth century and the first decades of the nineteenth century.

Particular attention is given to the face and to the rendering of the curly hair, while a shoulder and part of an arm are only lightly sketched. The concise character of the sheet suggests the study of a specific detail rather than a fully developed figure.

The paper itself is of particular interest. Made by hand from cotton fibres, it retains along its upper edge a small overlap of fibres formed during the papermaking process, providing a tangible record of the techniques employed in historic paper mills.

The drawing comes from a group of sheets preserved in the Florentine area, including anatomical studies, notes and architectural drawings, originating from an old family collection connected with the cultural circles of the city.

Good condition. Minor signs of age consistent with the period.