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Four sketches (from Sketchbook)

James McNeill Whistler

1854

gouache

paper

From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century Human Figure

Dominant colour

Four sketches (from Sketchbook) is a 1854 gouache by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, depicting Human Figure, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: James McNeill Whistler
When & what style?: 1854 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Metropolitan Museum of Art

About this work

You see four quick ink-and-pencil sketches of people on one sheet of paper—two men in hats, a woman sewing, and a boy leaning on a stick. Whistler drew these while traveling in Europe, long before he became known for moody portraits. The lines are loose, almost like he was warming up his hand. You can tell he wasn’t trying to make a finished piece—just catching moments as they happened. If you like these rough, lively figures, look up the technique gouache—it’s a paint that dries opaque, great for bold, quick sketches like these.

About the artist

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.

See the richer artist page