Technique

The face is so highly finished that there are no signs of brushwork (the thin paint has also been rubbed down to ensure a smooth texture), but by contrast the hands are conveyed by a few dabs of pink with a nearly dry brush. The eyes have a highlight of light brown instead of the usual touch of white.

Conservation History

Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) recorded seeing a portrait, ' "Boy in the cloak" Background scrubbed by Mr. W.' in Whistler's studio in 1903. 1

Frame

130.5 x 106.2 x 8.2 cm. Like Brun et or: De race [YMSM 511] the frame bears the label of Frederick Henry Grau (1859-1892), Whistler's frame-maker in London, and the canvas was probably acquired and painted in London.