Black Oval beside a Tower

About the work

A large head with a high rounded crown occupies the centre and right of the composition. Loops and oblique strokes thicken around the eyes, mouth and chin, nearly joining them into a continuous dark field. Broad shoulders extend towards the lower corners. A substantial pale area remains on the left, containing a small towerlike structure marked by a circle and short crosspieces. A separate compact black sign sits below it.

The sharp difference in size prevents the background from reading as ordinary depth behind a portrait. The tower becomes an independent counterweight to the head. Its sparse straight lines stand out beside the continuous tangle of marks. A low horizontal connects the two parts while leaving enough space for each form to retain its own scale and character.