Karl Parsons
English 1884 - 1934
Head of a Young Woman
Graphite on paper
Signed and dated '(19)07' lower left
Image size: 6 1/4 x 8 1/2 inches (16 x 21.5 cm)
Contemporary Pre-Raphaelite style frame
One of Britain's leading stained glass designers during the early decades of the 20th century, Karl Parsons drew portraits invariably for pleasure rather than commissions, throughout his life, and it is in these that one sees most clearly the influence of some of the artists whom he most admired, notably Botticelli, Rossetti and Burne-Jones.
Though harkening back to these illustrious forebears, both technically and compositionally, this portrait also epitomises the type of portraiture that was fashionable in British high society at the start of the 20th century. Karl Parson's technique here, with delicate shading and strong outlines, is certainly comparable to Gerald Leslie Brockhurst's graphic style. It is clear that Parsons took delight in demonstrating his skill at sculpting human forms through gentle shading.
Karl Parsons was an English stained glass artist associated with the arts and craft movement. Parsons was born in Peckham in Surrey in 1884, the 12th child of Arthur William Parsons...
Category
Early 20th Century Pre-Raphaelite Portrait Drawings and Watercolors