Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Heads of a faun and a reclining woman (Les têtes d'une jeune femme et d'un faune)

ca. 1792–96
Not on view
This vibrant and enigmatic study of two heads was made in the 1790s, following the French revolution. A faun, swarthy and furtive, is drawn in dark and vigorous marks. Just behind him, and rendered in more delicate strokes, is the head of a sleeping woman, tilted back, her lips parted. David made such drawings throughout his life, especially in his late years, but their function is unclear. Are they memories, studies, or simply explorations of expression?

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Heads of a faun and a reclining woman (Les têtes d'une jeune femme et d'un faune)
  • Artist: Jacques Louis David (French, Paris 1748–1825 Brussels)
  • Date: ca. 1792–96
  • Medium: Pen and dark brown iron gall ink
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 6 1/8 × 7 11/16 in. (15.5 × 19.5 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2022
  • Object Number: 2022.294
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743–1794) and Marie Anne Lavoisier (Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze, 1758–1836), Jacques Louis David French, Oil on canvas
Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743–1794) and Marie Anne Lavoisier (Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze, 1758–1836)
Jacques Louis David
1788
Guitar, Jean-Baptiste Voboam French, Spruce, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, ivory, ebony, French
Guitar
attributed to Jean-Baptiste Voboam
1697
The Parade, Si Lewen American, Manufactured charcoal, pencil, crayon, ink, scratching, and hand applied gesso on paperboard
The Parade
Si Lewen
ca. 1950
The Death of Socrates, Jacques Louis David French, Oil on canvas
The Death of Socrates
Jacques Louis David
1787
Ceramic Horn, Glazed pottery, French
Ceramic Horn
French
late 18th or early 19th century

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.