Head of a woman

'Head of a Woman' is a painting drawed by the polymath and illustrious artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) outlined his approach to portraying the female form. He advocated for a modest and reserved posture, with the woman's knees drawn together, her arms close to her body or folded, and her head slightly bowed to one side.

To fully capture the beauty of the face, he suggested avoiding the emphasis on muscles with harsh lines. Instead, he proposed letting a soft light glide over the features, fading gracefully into enchanting shadows. This technique, he believed, would create harmony and enhance the beauty of the face.

Da Vinci further advised against elaborate hairstyles and artificial curls, arguing that they would make the women appear vain and overly concerned with their appearance. Instead, he encouraged artists to depict women with natural, windswept hair, suggesting that the wind, which could dishevel even the most carefully styled hair, was the greatest enemy of such artifice.

He urged artists to paint the hair of young women as if it were being tousled by an imaginary breeze, and to adorn the heads of 

their subjects with various types of braids.

 The painting is located in the National

 💗 Museum of Parma, Italy