Weary

James McNeill Whistler

1863 · Drypoint, printed in black ink on tissue weight ivory Japan; fourth state of six (Glasgow) · Drawings and Prints

Whistler depicts the celebrated Irish beauty Joanna Hiffernan—his model and mistress—sunk in an armchair, engulfed by a long skirt and loose hair, her lips parted as if to speak. The delicate paper captures the soft, drypoint lines and conveys a sensual mood. The light sketch of a girl’s head (in the lower left of the sheet) suggests that Whistler first worked on the plate from the opposite direction with another subject in mind. Drypoint lines were scratched directly into the copper to produce this famous image.

Artist

James McNeill Whistler

Date

1863

Medium

Drypoint, printed in black ink on tissue weight ivory Japan; fourth state of six (Glasgow)

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of William Loring Andrews, 1883, transferred from the Library