1859
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Greenwich Pensioner is a 1859 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a man sitting on a bench, wearing a tall black hat and a long coat. His legs are crossed, and he holds a cane. The background is filled with quick, scratchy lines that suggest a park or street, but the details are loose and sketchy. The artist used a technique that lets ink spread in thin, uneven lines, giving it a rough, almost scribbled look. This was common in early sketches to quickly capture movement and mood. Look up etching to see how artists like Whistler used acid and metal plates to create these kinds of prints.
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
