1870
graphite
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Standing Female Nude Holding a Bowl [recto] is a 1870 graphite by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a woman standing, holding a shallow bowl in both hands. Her body is turned slightly to the side, and she’s barefoot. The lines are loose and quick, with soft shading in warm browns and faint pinks. The paper looks worn, like it’s been handled a lot. The artist used a mix of graphite, pastel, and chalk, blending colors lightly. It feels more like a quick study than a finished drawing. Next, check out pastel to see how artists use soft, blendable sticks to create effects like this.
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
