Artwork

Weary

Weary, by James McNeill Whistler, ink, 1863
Weary, by James McNeill Whistler, ink, 1863

Weary is an ink print by the Impressionist artist James McNeill Whistler. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Weary is a drypoint print on Japanese paper created by James McNeill Whistler in 1863. It exemplifies the artist's attention to refined printmaking techniques.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a woman's face and shoulders in a subtle, turned pose. Her hair is rendered in loose, expressive lines, while the background is a textured mix of crisscrossed strokes, devoid of clear details.

Technique & Style

Whistler employed drypoint, a technique involving scratching lines into a metal plate, to achieve sharp, detailed marks. The resulting sketch is characterized by rough, expressive lines, contrasting with Whistler's other work, which often featured delicate linework and subtle compositions.

Artist & collection

Portrait of James McNeill Whistler

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.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.