Artwork
Model Draping
Model Draping is an ink print by the Impressionist artist James McNeill Whistler. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Model Draping is a lithograph created by James McNeill Whistler around 1889, showcasing his skill in printmaking and composition.
Subject & Meaning
The lithograph depicts a draped figure standing sideways, with the fabric clinging to their body, revealing its shape. The work reflects Whistler's study of form and line, as well as his interest in capturing the effects of light on fabric.
Technique & Style
Executed in black on laid paper, the lithograph features quick, rough lines, giving it a sketchy appearance. The textured, aged paper enhances this effect, while the artist's rendering of light on fabric creates a sense of three-dimensionality.
Context
Whistler, an American expatriate working primarily in the UK, was associated with the Aesthetic Movement, which emphasized the intrinsic value of art.
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.
Arrangement in Black, No. 3: Sir Henry Irving as Philip II of Spain
Arrangement in Flesh Colour and Black: Portrait of Theodore Duret
Gold and Brown: Self-Portrait
Edward Guthrie Kennedy
Harmony in Yellow and Gold: The Gold Girl—Connie Gilchrist
George W. Vanderbilt
Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl
Henry Irving as Philip II of Spain
