En Plein Soleil, One of the ‘Twelve Etchings from Nature,’ or the ‘French Set’
James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Description
Subject Matter:
Drawn directly outside, this work shows Whistler's shared interest in "plein air" sketching and painting. Although Whistler abandoned such a straightforward interpretation of nature, which he believed did not involve creativity, he never lost the ability to quickly seize the essentials of form and light of objects he observed. Later, his work sought to distill everyday scenes around him and transform them into a poetic beauty that he found in such subjects.
Physical Description:
Seen slightly from below, a woman is seated in a landscape on a hillock. She is holding a dark, fringed parasol and has a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Her face is partly shaded by the parasol; beside her to the left is a pot or container of some kind. Behind her to the right is a lone poplar tree and behind her to the left are some low buildings and indication of a stand of trees. The foreground is uneven, with tufts of grass sprouting up between the figure and the viewer.
Usage Rights:
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