Artwork
Sleeping Woman
Sleeping Woman is a charcoal drawing by the Impressionist artist James McNeill Whistler. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right in black chalk: Whistler
About this work
Overview
Sleeping Woman is a drawing created by James McNeill Whistler around 1863. It is executed in chalk and charcoal on cream wove paper mounted on paperboard.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a reclining woman with her eyes closed, dressed in a dark, high-necklined dress. Her serene face and subtle smile convey a sense of quiet intimacy, suggesting a private moment captured by the artist.
Technique & Style
Whistler's use of delicate, restrained lines and loose, expressive strokes creates a sense of softness and texture. The contrast between the dark background and the figure achieves a sense of immediacy and spontaneity, characteristic of his aesthetic focus on refined technique.
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Artist & collection
Artist
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834 – July 17, 1903) 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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