Detail from The Canal, Amsterdam, 1889, James McNeill Whistler, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

 

An artist sketching

Composition


                    An artist sketching, Freer Gallery of Art
An artist sketching, Freer Gallery of Art

                    An Artist Sketching, British Museum 1916-12-16-1
An Artist Sketching, British Museum 1916-12-16-1

This sketch is the basis for the etching An Artist Sketching [23], which was Whistler's first design for a title page for the 'French Set', Douze Eaux-Fortes d'après Nature (Twelve Etchings from Nature).

Conservation History

The sheet was probably taken from a sketchbook. Over fifty drawings, many in sketchbooks, most of which dated from 1857-1858, were apparently given to Whistler's half-sister Deborah and/or her husband, Francis Seymour Haden, and were later removed from the sketchbooks.

Last updated: 14th December 2019 by Margaret