The Etcher

Stacy Tolman

ca. 1887–89 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Having first studied in Boston, Tolman pursued further training in Paris, at the Académie Julian and the École des Beaux-Arts, from 1884 to 1886. "The Etcher" shares the French academic interest in portrayals of artists at work. It depicts Tolman’s friend and fellow student William H. Bicknell (1860–1947), probably in the Boston studio shared by the two artists. Bicknell is shown etching, working from a mirror that reflects a page of the book propped up to his left. A translucent screen diffuses light from the dormer overhead. The hanging wine bottles add a note of levity to the scene of artistic concentration.

Artist

Stacy Tolman

Date

ca. 1887–89

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, The Bertram F. and Susie Brummer Foundation Inc. Gift, 1962