1896
graphite
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Blacksmith is a 1896 graphite by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a dark, shadowy room with a person hunched over a forge. The light is dim, and the figure’s face is mostly hidden by a wide-brimmed hat. You can see the glow of the fire and the smudge of smoke in the air. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to suggest movement and texture, like the smith’s heavy boots or the rough wall behind him. This style was common in prints meant to capture a moment fast. Next, check out lithography to see how artists like this made prints with stone and ink.
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.
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