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
Rights
Public Domain
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...