Artwork

Japanese Woman Painting a Fan (recto); Standing Woman Holding Up Her Dress (verso)

Japanese Woman Painting a Fan (recto); Standing Woman Holding Up Her Dress (verso) is a drawing by the Impressionist artist James McNeill Whistler. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This double-sided drawing presents two distinct scenes: on the recto, a woman in a flowing kimono holds a brush poised over a paper fan; on the verso, another woman lifts the hem of her dress. Both figures are rendered in delicate line work, reflecting the artist’s interest in Japanese visual conventions.

Subject & Meaning

The recto captures a moment of artistic creation, suggesting a quiet, contemplative activity associated with Japanese cultural practices. The verso, showing a woman adjusting her garment, conveys a private, everyday gesture, emphasizing intimacy and the fleeting nature of personal moments.

Technique & Style

Executed in fine pen and ink, the drawing employs flat, unmodulated areas of tone and simplified contours reminiscent of ukiyo‑e prints. The artist’s signature appears as a small butterfly monogram positioned just below the model’s hand, a subtle visual pun that integrates seamlessly with the composition.

History & Provenance

Created after the artist’s relocation to Europe following his departure from West Point, the work reflects his immersion in the bohemian circles of Paris and London. The piece exemplifies his early adoption of Japanese aesthetic principles, which he incorporated into his practice during the 1860s.

Context

During the mid‑nineteenth century, Western artists increasingly looked to Japanese prints for inspiration, valuing their compositional clarity and decorative restraint. This drawing illustrates that cross‑cultural exchange, merging Western drawing techniques with the flatness and line quality characteristic of Japanese art.

Artist & collection

Artist

James McNeill Whistler

James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom.