Pour Boire (from Sketchbook)
1854–55
Medium
Ink and graphite on off-white wove paper, unevenly clipped
Dimensions
2 15/16 x 1 5/8 in. (7.5 x 4.1 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Margaret C. Buell, Helen L. King, and Sybil A. Walk, 1970
Accession Number
1970.121.46
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, *Pour Boire* (from Sketchbook) is a charming, intimate ink and graphite drawing by James Mc Whistler, created around 1854–55. Measuring just 2 15/16 x 1 5/8 inches on off-white wove paperunevenly clipped for raw, spontaneous feel—this tiny work captures figures of men and women, likely in a convivial drinking scene, as suggested by its French title meaning "To Drink." At the time, the young Whistler, an American artist born in 1834, was honing his skills amid the vibrant artistic circles of Paris, blending precise graphite outlines wit...
About the Artist
James McNeill Whistler · 1834–1903
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) was an American-born painter and printmaker who became a leading figure in the Aesthetic Movement and pioneer of Tonalism and Japonisme. He revolutionized art by championing "art for art's sake" and treating paintings as visual equivalents of musical compositions, titling works as "arrangements," "harmonies," and "nocturnes" to emphasize formal qualities o...