A head study of a young girl George Lawrence Bulleid

The drawing presents a close-up portrait of a young girl, rendered in pastel on paper. The composition is tightly cropped, focusing solely on her head and shoulders. Her gaze is directed slightly upwards and outwards, suggesting a moment of introspection or perhaps a fleeting observation beyond the viewers immediate presence.
The artist employed a delicate layering technique with the pastels, creating a soft, almost hazy effect that obscures sharp lines and contributes to an overall impression of fragility and innocence. The color palette is dominated by warm tones – various shades of ochre, brown, and pink – which define her skin and hair. These are subtly contrasted with cooler blues in her eyes, drawing the viewers attention to them. A thin headband encircles her forehead, adding a touch of formality or perhaps indicating a specific social context.
The rendering of the hair is particularly noteworthy; it appears loose and somewhat disheveled, suggesting naturalness rather than deliberate styling. The artist has captured the texture of individual strands with remarkable detail, using subtle variations in color to convey depth and volume. A faint blush on her cheeks and lips hints at a youthful vitality, while the slight furrowing between her brows introduces an element of complexity – perhaps a nascent awareness or a touch of melancholy.
Subtly, there is a sense of vulnerability conveyed through the girl’s expression. The upward gaze, combined with the soft rendering and muted colors, evokes a feeling of quiet contemplation rather than direct engagement. Its possible to interpret this as an exploration of childhood innocence, poised on the threshold of experience. The lack of background context further isolates the subject, emphasizing her individual presence and inviting speculation about her inner world.