Whistler with the White Lock

1879

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The image shows a portrait sketch of a person's upper torso and head. The person is sitting in a slightly turned position, facing towards the left side of the frame. The sketch features soft, unfinished details of the facial features, highlighting a mustache and an ambiguous expression. The person's hair is depicted as loose curls around the head. The clothing is suggested with minimal and lightly drawn lines, possibly indicating a collared garment like a jacket. The background consists of crosshatched lines, creating a textured appearance, while the rest of the space is left blank to draw focus to the subject.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and drypoint on light grey laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 11.75 x 7.94 cm (4 5/8 x 3 1/8 in.)
    sheet: 19.69 x 16.19 cm (7 3/4 x 6 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8505

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    MacDonald 2012, no. 162, state i (re-issued)/i

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, stock no. a 72210). Purchased by 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

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 172.

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. 162, state i (re-issued)/i.

Inscriptions

none

Watermarks

partial crowned 'GR' with crossed branches in circle, countermark to Pro Patria / MVD (Chicago watermark 99)

Wikidata ID

Q65021922

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