Study of the Head of a Girl Wearing a Headdress. Pencil on white paper. 8 1/12 X 5 5/8 inches (19.5 X 14 cm). Private collection, image courtesy of the author. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
This drawing has been identified in the past as a sketch for the head and shoulders of the female figure in a green dress situated to the right in Strudwick's A Symphony. The finished painting was exhibited at the New Gallery in 1903, no. 178. When the painting was offered for sale at Martin Beisley's gallery, Scott Thomas Buckle disputed that this drawing was a study for A Symphony: "A second pencil study by Strudwick shows a woman full face. Because of this, it was identified as a study for the seated figure within A Symphony. The model's hair style and facial features, however, do not accord with those of the seated woman within the painting, so it seems unlikely that the two are related" (7). This drawing, in fact, does not appear to relate to any of Strudwick's known works.
Bibliography
Buckle, Scott Thomas: Catalogue for John Melhuish Strudwick's A Symphony. London: Martin Beisley Gallery, 2023, 7. https://martinbeislyfineartcatalogues.co.uk/PDF-Flip/asymphony.html
Created 8 October 2025