Artwork
Standing Woman Holding Up Her Dress (verso)

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
Standing Woman Holding Up Her Dress (verso) is a drawing by James Whistler, created on the reverse of another sheet, a common practice among artists to conserve paper.
Technique & Style
The drawing features quick, light lines that capture a woman standing with her back turned, lifting her dress. Whistler's use of delicate, expressive lines achieves a soft, fluid effect, reminiscent of the sfumato technique used by earlier artists to blur edges and create a sense of atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a woman in a loose dress, depicted in a moment of casual movement. Whistler's butterfly monogram, placed below the model's hand, adds a touch of whimsy to the drawing.
History & Provenance
Whistler created this drawing after leaving the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and establishing himself as an artist in Europe, where he was influenced by Japanese prints and developed a distinctive style characterized by subtlety and delicacy.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.











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