This drawing was recently on exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago in a wonderful exhibition that coincided with the opening of their new wing. Here’s a link to their page with the entire work pictured.
I’m drawn to how the features are seen from different viewpoints, in proto-cubist fashion, as though he needed to dishevel her features in order for you to think the same of her hair.
You see her and she sees you straight on with her right eye, even though her left eye looks to her distant right; the right side of her nose is drawn straight on though the left side is done in 3/4 profile:
There are several other tweaks to point out, but my absolute favorite one is that he drew her mouth twice, at once. It’s a lovely mouth, made so perfectly freaky by the multiple viewpoint.
Notice it here:
and then again here:
