Technique

It is very thinly painted, with the off-white underpaint showing through in places, providing the base colour for the window and foreground.

In February 1903, Whistler wrote (after the painting had been twice exhibited), "The Neighbours" is 400. guineas. This though complete, requires still a few more touches.' 1 However it is extremely unlikely, given his declining health, that he worked on it again before it was sold.

Conservation History

According to Freer Gallery of Art records, it was cleaned and resurfaced in 1923, resurfaced and cradled in 1938, and cleaned and surfaced in 1951; the website comments (2019) 'Recent cleaning has revealed the delicacy with which Whistler painted the delicious lace curtains and the crispness of the drying laundry.' 2

Frame

Grau-style frame, dating from ca 1900. 3