Japanese Woman Painting a Fan (recto)

The work showcases Whistler's use of soft light and delicate pastel technique to capture a quiet moment. The play of light on the subject's face and the paper she is painting on is a notable aspect of the composition.

Commissioned in 1872, the drawing was one of two designs Whistler submitted to complement a series of 35 monumental portrait mosaics at the South Kensington Museum, now the Victoria and Albert Museum. The commission was ultimately unfulfilled.

The drawing reflects Whistler's interest in representing women as artists and challenging the male-dominated narrative of art history.