Although Elie Nadelman became a prototypical American artist, combining modernist forms with folk art sources, this early work by the Polish-born American sculptor reveals the classical influences of his European background. During a brief stay in Munich, Nadelman was exposed to ancient Greek theories about ideal beauty, sparking a lifelong interest in the classical past. The numerous busts Nadelman sculpted in marble and bronze, including Classical Head, evoke the serenity and idealism of classical art while remaining distinctly stylized. The work's sleek, curvilinear forms are comparable to the modernist sculptures of his close colleagues Amedeo Modigliani, Chana Orloff, and Jacques Lipchitz.