
Read the visual description
The portrait depicts the upper half of a man's body. He is seated, facing the viewer with a direct gaze. The man has a pronounced mustache and goatee, along with thick, curly hair. He wears a long-sleeved garment and a wide-brimmed hat. His left arm is bent, holding what appears to be the neck of a stringed musical instrument, likely a cello. The background consists of crosshatched lines, adding depth and texture to the image. The drawing style is sketchy, with finer strokes used for the man's facial features and hair, while the clothing and background are more abstract.
National Gallery of Art · Print
Becquet
James McNeill Whistler
- Date
- 1859
- Medium
- etching on laid paper
- Dimensions
- image: 17.15 x 13.97 cm (6 3/4 x 5 1/2 in.) sheet: 27.94 x 20.32 cm (11 x 8 in.)
- Classification
- Accession number
- 1943.3.8434
- Credit line
- Rosenwald Collection
- Time span
- 1851 to 1875
- Department
- CG-W
Portfolio and series
- Series
- Scenes on the Thames
Subjects and terms
- American
- Seated figure
- Musical instrument
- Portrait
- Face
- Man
Provenance
Philippe Burty (1830-1890), Paris, (Lugt 413); (probably sold at auction, Sotheby, London, 1 May 1876 (lot 925). Purchased by Heywood, £5.7.6. Theodore de Witt, New York, (Lugt 2428). (H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, stock no. a 65762). Bought by Lessing Julius Rosenwald [1891-1971], Philadelphia, (Lugt 1760b-c); Gift to NGA, 1943.
Inscription
by later hands on recto: 9608; verso: 86
NGA object ID 10931. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.