Whistler
1976
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching on Rives BFK paper
Dimensions
plate: 12.5 x 10.3 cm (4 15/16 x 4 1/16 in.) sheet: 37.7 x 27.9 cm (14 13/16 x 11 in.)
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Lisa Travers, William O'Reilly, New York
Accession Number
1999.115.1
Art Historical Context
Red Grooms' *Whistler* (1976) is a lively etching on Rives BFK, a premium French-made sheet prized by printmakers for its velvety texture and ability to hold fine ink details. Measuring a compact plate size of 125 x 10.3 cm, with a larger sheet of 37.7 x 27.9 cm, this intimate work invites close viewing, capturing Grooms' signature playful energy in two dimensions. The title nods to James McNeill Wh, the 19th-century American-born painter famous for his elegant portraits and tonal harmonies. Grooms, a key figure in American Pop Art and assemblage from the 1960s onward, often infused historica...