Painted in Cincinnati around 1882 before American artist Elizabeth Nourse’s move to Paris, this intimate study reveals her early realist approach utilizing natural light, unidealized features, and empathetic attention to an ordinary sitter. A young girl is shown in left profile against a warm brown ground. Her skin is medium-brown and warmly lit as highlights trace the bridge of her nose, the round of her cheekbone, and the soft curve of her lower lip. Dark, wavy hair gathers low at the nape, with a faint reddish ribbon near the crown. She wears a slate-blue bodice fastened by four small metal buttons beneath a darker jacket. Her shoulders are turned gently while level head and gaze are directed beyond the frame. Smooth, careful blending models the face even as looser strokes in clothing and background create quiet chiaroscuro and depth. Trained at the McMicken School of Design (now the Art Academy of Cincinnati), Nourse settled in Paris in 1887, entered the Salon soon after, and built a career portraying women and working families with dignity rather than sentimentality. Contemporary observers noted, “No American woman artist in Paris stands so high today.” The Cincinnati Art Museum, which now holds the largest collection of her work, received this canvas in 1924 as a gift from Harley I. Procter.

“Head of a Girl” by Elizabeth Nourse (American) - Oil on canvas mounted on academy board / c. 1882 - Cincinnati Art Museum (Ohio) #WomenInArt #WomenArtists #ElizabethNourse #Nourse #arte #BlueskyArt #WomensArt #AmericanArt #CincinnatiArtMuseum #WomanArtist #art #artText #artwork #PortraitofaGirl