Head of a Woman from Behind

François Boucher drew this elegant study around 1740, at the height of the Rococo period in France. The chalk sketch depicts a woman seen from behind, her head turned slightly to reveal the line of her cheek and the arrangement of her hair. Boucher was the leading decorative painter of his era, favored by Madame de Pompadour and the French court.

Drawings like this often served as preparatory studies for Boucher's painted compositions, which filled aristocratic homes with pastoral scenes and mythological subjects. His quick, confident chalk work captures the grace and movement that characterized Rococo aesthetics. The intimate scale and spontaneous execution make these studies prized by collectors who appreciate seeing an artist's working process.

This drawing remains in a private collection. Boucher's studies rarely appear on the market, and institutions like the Louvre and the Wallace Collection hold significant groups of his drawings.