Unknown (Head of a Woman)

This drawing was executed one year before the German émigré Paul Wieghardt moved to Chicago to teach at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In this example, Wieghardt’s negotiation between his early artistic training in Germany and his later French influences is clear. This work recalls both the expressionistic portraits of Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980) and the sensual creations of Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947) and Jules Pascin (1885–1930). With its carefully placed areas of gouache, subtle forms, and nuanced lines, this drawing is an excellent example of Wieghardt’s mature style.