Head of Athena (from a cast)

S. D. Pratt's charcoal study documents a classical sculptural cast, likely after an ancient Greek original. The drawing demonstrates academic training in figure work through careful modeling of form—note the subtle gradations in the helmet's shadow and the precise rendering of facial planes. This type of study from plaster casts was foundational studio practice for artists of the period, teaching the fundamentals of light, volume, and anatomical proportion that would inform both fine art and commercial illustration work in the decades to come.