A refined nineteenth-century lithograph by Jean Augustin Daiwaille, depicting a young woman in profile with delicate tonal modelling.

This lithograph by Jean Augustin Daiwaille captures a young woman in profile, her gaze directed upward and away from the viewer. The work demonstrates the technical precision Daiwaille brought to the medium of lithography, a process that was gaining popularity in the early nineteenth century for its ability to replicate the soft, tonal qualities of charcoal or chalk drawings. The artist uses subtle gradations of grey to model the subject's features, creating a sense of volume and depth within the facial structure. The headscarf is rendered with light, deliberate strokes, allowing the texture of the fabric to contrast with the smooth skin of the face.

Daiwaille was a Dutch artist who operated a lithographic studio in Amsterdam, contributing to the spread of the medium through his own prints and his instruction of other artists. His approach to portraiture often favoured a quiet, contemplative mood, avoiding excessive ornamentation to focus on the expression of the sitter. The composition is sparse, placing the figure against a plain background, which directs the viewer's attention entirely to the subject's profile and the play of light across her features. This print reflects the broader interest in character studies and physiognomy that occupied many artists of the Romantic period. The work is marked with a simple numerical identifier, suggesting it was part of a larger series of studies or instructional plates intended for students of drawing. The clarity of the lines and the controlled application of ink demonstrate the high standard of craftsmanship associated with Daiwaille's workshop during this era.