Portrait of John Ross Key
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1908.200
Tags
About this artwork
To 1908
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler, renowned American artist famous for his elegant portraits and innovative use of color later in life, created *Portrait of John Ross Key around 1854-55. This early drawing captures the subject during Whistler's formative years, shortly after his brief time at West Point and as he began exploring art in earnest. As a portrait in the American Art tradition, it reflects the young artist's emerging skill in capturing likeness and character through line and form. Classified as a drawing from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, the work entered the institution t...