Sketch of a Blacksmith

1895

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The image is a sketch showing the upper body of a person turned slightly to the right. The person's head is tilted upwards and slightly to the side, suggesting a seated or leaning position. Facial features are indicated with simple lines, capturing the essence of a profile view with a suggestion of a beard. The hair is represented with soft, dark strokes, appearing short and close to the head. The person seems to be wearing a loose-fitting garment, possibly a shirt, with some visible folds suggested by the sketch lines. There is no jewelry visible, and the person is not holding any objects. The background consists of abstract, textured strokes providing depth but no distinct setting.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    lithograph in black on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 10.7 × 9.2 cm (4 3/16 × 3 5/8 in.)
    sheet: 17.2 × 11.7 cm (6 3/4 × 4 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8791

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Stratis & Tedeschi 1998, no. 130

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Lessing Julius Rosenwald [1891-1971], Philadelphia, (Lugt 1760b); gift to National Gallery of Art, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1931

  • Etchings, Lithographs, Original Drawings, and Autograph Letters by James A. McNeill Whistler, The Free Library of Philadelphia, 1931.

Bibliography

1896

  • Way, Thomas Robert. Mr. Whistler's Lithographs: The Catalogue. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1896; New York: H. Wunderlich & Co., 1905, no. 145.

1998

  • Stratis, Harriet K., and Martha Tedeschi, eds. The Lithographs of James McNeill Whistler, vol. 1. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1998, pp. 390-392, no. 130.

Wikidata ID

Q65022207

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