“Study, Head of a Young Girl” (Étude, tête de jeune fille) in 1898 of William Adolphe Bouguereau is one of the masterpieces of portrait, even though it was an étude. The model of this portrait “Study, Head of a Young Girl” was obviously the same person as the model of “The Madonna of the Lilies” (“La Vierge aux Lys”: or “La Vierge au Lys”, if you saw only one special lily) in 1899. For “Study, Head of a Young Girl”, she was making an unnatural pose with her neck twisted; she would have an aching neck. I think “Study, Head of a Young Girl” (Étude, tête de jeune fille) might be a trying for a big canvas of Maria of the next year 1899, which some church was requesting of him, and the model might be pretending to look at Baby Jesus. Maybe the model was holding a doll or something that had the size of a baby in her arms. Her eyes are not closed. She is not meditating alone, but she is looking downward, onto her left side; Baby Jesus might be sleeping in her arms. Bouguereau always drew the eyes of Madonna half-open: Madonna’s affectionate eyes and lips. So, I think this portrait should be named “Study for the Head of Madonna” (Étude pour la Tête de la Vierge).
Her eyes are looking at her Baby’s face.