Composition

The lines of the sofa go right through the right-hand figure. It looks as if the left-hand figure was originally painted on her own, a little further to the left, with drapery falling from the seat below the sofa to her right.

Technique

It was painted thinly on a single piece of mahogany-type panel. The commercial pre-primed panel has mid-grey priming applied with pronounced horizontal brushstrokes, parallel to the long edges. The paint does not cover the priming fully. 1

The composition, both figures and sofa, is sketched out roughly in a crayon-like material but the oil painting is barely started. The unfinished state of this work shows Whistler's working methods at this late period in his career: the composition has been sketched onto the prepared panel and the oil paint applied to the left hand figure only. One head is well finished, but most other areas have only a single layer of paint.

The crazing in the varnish suggests egg white was applied. This was recommended as a temporary varnish for use on very new paint, but it becomes very insoluble when left in place. 2

Conservation History

There is some craquelure and fine drying cracks. The thick natural resin varnish applied over the earlier varnish is a little uneven and yellowed. However the panel is basically in sound condition. 3

The panel has a framing device of a backing panel of mahogany-type timber, with narrow (3-4 mm wide) battens adhered at the sides. 4 This may have been done in preparation for the 1905 exhibition. The frame has damaged the edges of the panel, revealing the grey priming.

Frame

37.9 x 48.9 x 6.7 cm. The frame has the label of the firm of Andre Chenue (fl. 1890s), packers and shipping agents, Paris, pasted on the back, probably from the time of the Paris exhibition of 1905.