The Master Smith

1895

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

This is a sketch of a person seated in a three-quarter view. The person's body is turned slightly to the side, but their face is facing the viewer. The facial features are lightly detailed with a soft outline hinting at a slight smile. The person's hair is pulled back, possibly under a cap. The clothing is loosely depicted with broad strokes indicating a textured top and long sleeves. The figure is holding a glass in one hand. The background is lightly shaded around the person's head, while the rest of the paper is blank, highlighting the simplicity and focus on the figure.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    lithograph in black on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 10.6 × 7.2 cm (4 3/16 × 2 13/16 in.)
    sheet: 20.6 × 16.3 cm (8 1/8 × 6 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8742

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Stratis & Tedeschi 1998, no. 120

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. 84.

1998

  • Stratis, Harriet K., and Martha Tedeschi, eds. The Lithographs of James McNeill Whistler, vol. 1. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1998, pp. 366-368, no. 120, ii/ii.

Wikidata ID

Q65022161

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