Draped Figure, Standing - James McNeill Whistler

Bryan Lathrop Collection

American Art Modern Art Prints Sculpture

"Draped Figure, Standing" by James McNeill Whistler (1891) Lithograph, from thin, transparent paper, from four stones, red-orange and brown (keystone), orange, and ochre inks, on ivory laid paper.

Commentary

"Draped Figure, Standing" by James McNeill Whistler (1891) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Because the work is spatial, changes in viewpoint and light can noticeably alter its emotional impact. Themes to notice include lithog raph. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. James McNeill Whistler is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: James McNeill Whistler American, 1834-1903. The work is cataloged within a United States cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as lithograph, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Lithograph, from thin, transparent paper, from four stones, red-orange and brown (keystone), orange, and ochre inks, on ivory laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 22.7 × 11.2 cm (8 15/16 × 4 7/16 in.); With registration marks: 27 × 17.2 cm (10 11/16 × 6 13/16 in.); Sheet: 27.8 × 20.1 cm (11 × 7 15/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include lithograph. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/19734

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data