The Old Smith's Story

1895

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

Thomas Robert Way

Printer, British, 1861/1862 - 1913

The image shows a sketch featuring two male figures, depicting their upper bodies and faces turned slightly to the left of the image. One figure is seated while the other stands nearby. The figures have simple facial features and expressions, with one having a mustache and defined cheekbones. Their hair is sketched shortly, and they wear shirts with collars and possibly jackets. There are no distinct jewelry or objects visible. The background consists of dark charcoal strokes, creating an abstract setting. The sketch is monochromatic, using varying shades of grey and black.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    lithograph in black on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Gift of Bud and Fran Moreland Johns)

  • Dimensions

    image (irregular): 20.5 × 15.3 cm (8 1/16 × 6 in.)
    sheet: 25.4 × 19.53 cm (10 × 7 11/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.3495

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Stratis & Tedeschi 1998, no. 129

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

the artist, London, England; Rosalind Birnie Philip (the artist's sister-in-law), London, England; (Butterfield & Butterfield, San Francisco, California); Bud and Fran Moreland Johns, San Francisco, California; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2013; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2013

  • Recent Acquisitions: American Art from the Johns Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2013-2014

Bibliography

1896

  • Way, Thomas Robert. Mr. Whistler's Lithographs: The Catalogue. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1896; New York: H. Wunderlich & Co., 1905, no. 98.

1998

  • Stratis, Harriet K., and Martha Tedeschi, eds. The Lithographs of James McNeill Whistler, vol. 1. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1998, pp. 388-390, no. 129.

Inscriptions

lower right on stone: [the artist's butterfly]; lower left in graphite: [the artist's butterfly]; lower left edge in graphite by unknown hand: Way 98. The Old Smith's Story; lower left verso in graphite by unknown hand: AC 02290; lower right verso in graphite by unknown hand: 32

Markings

stamped lower left verso in brown ink: [RBP monogram]

Watermarks

D & C BLAUW [partial]

Wikidata ID

Q77010508

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