Study - James McNeill Whistler

Bryan Lathrop Collection

"Study" by James McNeill Whistler (1878) Lithograph in black ink with scraping and roulette work on ivory chine laid down on off-white plate paper.

Commentary

"Study" by James McNeill Whistler (1878) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. Themes to notice include lithogr aph. 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 in black ink with scraping and roulette work on ivory chine laid down on off-white plate paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 26.6 × 14.9 cm (10 1/2 × 5 7/8 in.); Primary support: 30.4 × 17.1 cm (12 × 6 3/4 in.); Secondary support: 40.1 × 28.1 cm (15 13/16 × 11 1/8 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/109187

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