Composition

The pose relates to the lithograph Model Draping c031, which dates from 1889.

Technique

It was apparently intended as a lithograph but was never transferred to stone and printed. In this case Whistler stopped in the middle of the work. The crayon drawing had been amended by scraping along her left leg and hip, to left of her right leg, and inside the outer line of her left leg and her left arm. There is a very soft effect from the stump work over her head, and, unevenly, over her body. The chalky surface gives the drawing a silvery look.

Conservation History

The paper has a strong, irregular dotted grain, and browned streaks at lower left, arising from oxidisation of the lead-white coating on the textured lithographic transfer paper. The lithographic paper was laid down on card.