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Study for "Variations in Blue and Green" [verso]

James McNeill Whistler

1870

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Study for "Variations in Blue and Green" [verso] is a 1870 graphite by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: James McNeill Whistler
When & what style?: 1870 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows two figures drawn in loose, quick lines on brown paper. One person sits with their legs crossed, holding something round, while the other stands nearby, arms bent. The lines are uneven, like a rough draft. The paper looks old and worn. The drawing’s messy style hints at how artists sometimes worked fast to test ideas. Whistler made many sketches like this before painting. Next, look up Whistler, James McNeill to see how these sketches turned into finished paintings.

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