James McNeill Whistler

Study

1878
Lithograph in black ink with scraping and roulette work on ivory plate paper
26.6 × 14.9 cm (10.5 × 5.9 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

American by birth, Whistler had been living in London for almost two decades when he took up the medium of lithography. Here, in his first lithograph, Whistler returned to the subject of his 1873 etching. He depicted Maud in a similar pose, with her characteristic flounced dress and elaborate hat, but this time exploited the qualities of a different medium. He suggested the figure and shadows behind her in soft, greasy lithographic crayon, achieving a range of tonal effects that were not possible with etched lines.

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