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Little Arthur

Sitter Arthur Charles Haden British
1858
Not on view
Early in 1858, Whistler went to London from Paris to recuperate from a bad fall and stayed with his sister Deborah and her husband Seymour Haden. A gifted etcher, the latter encouraged the artist’s first serious efforts in the medium. This moody image of the artist's nephew emphasizes dramatic lighting over portraiture and echoes Rembrandt whose works were collected by Haden. In November 1858, Whistler included the print in his first published set, "Douze eau-fortes d'apres Nature" ("Twelve Etchings from Nature"), known as the "French Set."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Little Arthur
  • Series/Portfolio: French Set ("Douze eau-fortes d'apres Nature" 1858)
  • Artist: James McNeill Whistler (American, Lowell, Massachusetts 1834–1903 London)
  • Sitter: Arthur Charles Haden (British, 1852–1910)
  • Date: 1858
  • Medium: Etching, printed in black ink on off-white chine mounted on off-white wove paper; fourth state of four (Glasgow)
  • Dimensions: Plate: 2 5/16 x 1 15/16 in. (5.9 x 4.9 cm)
    Sheet: 17 in. × 11 15/16 in. (43.2 × 30.4 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.3.2
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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