Sketch after Cecil Lawson's "Swan and Iris"
Classification
landscapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. David Keppel
Accession Number
1957-168-3
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler, renowned American artist (1834–1903) who made his home in Britain, created this delicate sketch in 1882 a study after Cecil Lawson's evocative painting *Swan and Iris*. Whistler, a pioneer of the Aesthetic movement, championed "art for art's," prioritizing harmony of tone, color, and form over narrative. Though best known for his atmospheric nocturnes and subtle portraits—like his iconic *Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1* (often called *Whistler's Mother*)—this landscape sketch reveals his fascination with nature's poetic beauty and his practice of closely observing ...