Portrait of James McNeill Whistler
The wordly American painter James Abbot McNeill Whistler, sporting his characteristic monocle and garbed in a floppy hat, elegant overcoat and fancy shoes adorned with conspicuous bows, assumes something of the aspect of a dandy in this portrait by the British painter and draftsman Walter Greaves. What appears to be a walking stick proffered by the posturing artist may in fact be a mahlstick (a tool used by artists to work on a canvas without getting to close to its surface and smearing the paint). A one-time associate and collaborator, Greaves was later rebuffed by Whistler and died in poverty and oblivion. This portrait was made shortly before the rupture.
Artwork Details
- Title: Portrait of James McNeill Whistler
- Artist: Walter Greaves (British, London 1841–1930 London)
- Sitter: James McNeill Whistler (American, Lowell, Massachusetts 1834–1903 London)
- Date: ca. 1875
- Medium: Pen and ink, brush and wash, over graphite
- Dimensions: sheet: 11 1/16 x 7 11/16 in. (28.1 x 19.5 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Gift of Paul F. Walter, 1985
- Object Number: 1985.1161.24
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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