Becquet

1859

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The portrait depicts the upper half of a man's body. He is seated, facing the viewer with a direct gaze. The man has a pronounced mustache and goatee, along with thick, curly hair. He wears a long-sleeved garment and a wide-brimmed hat. His left arm is bent, holding what appears to be the neck of a stringed musical instrument, likely a cello. The background consists of crosshatched lines, adding depth and texture to the image. The drawing style is sketchy, with finer strokes used for the man's facial features and hair, while the clothing and background are more abstract.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 17.15 x 13.97 cm (6 3/4 x 5 1/2 in.)
    sheet: 27.94 x 20.32 cm (11 x 8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8434

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    MacDonald 2012, no. 62, state i/vi

  • Series Title

    Scenes on the Thames

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Philippe Burty (1830-1890), Paris, (Lugt 413); (probably sold at auction, Sotheby, London, 1 May 1876 (lot 925). Purchased by Heywood, £5.7.6. Theodore de Witt, New York, (Lugt 2428). (H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, stock no. a 65762). Bought by Lessing Julius Rosenwald [1891-1971], Philadelphia, (Lugt 1760b-c); Gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1931

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

1933

  • An Exhibition of Prints from the Collection of Lessing J. Rosenwald, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 1933, no. 190.

1946

  • Prints from the Rosenwald Collection, Cayuga Museum of History and Art, Auburn, NY, 1946, no cat.

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 52, i/iv.

2012

  • MacDonald, Margaret F., Grischka Petri, Joanna Meacock.James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, a catalogue raisonné. University of Glasgow on-line website at http://etchings.arts.gla.ac.uk. University of Glasgow, 2012, no. 62, state i/vi.

Inscriptions

by later hands on recto: 9608; verso: 86

Wikidata ID

Q65021851

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