James McNeill Whistler
Medium
portraits
Classification
portraits
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Henrietta Haller
Accession Number
1904-16-41-b
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
In 1881, American artist Robert Frederick Blum (7–1903) this striking portrait of fellow artist James McNeill Whistler capturing the essence of a pivotal figure in late 19th-century art. Blum, known for his exquisite watercolor techniques and influences from Japanese prints and Venetian scenes, rendered Whistler—a pioneering Aestheticist famous for works like *Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1* ("Whistler's Mother")— a dynamic period when Whistler was championing "art for art's sake" in London and Venice. This intimate depiction highlights the camaraderie among expatriate American artists abr...