The image depicts a sketch of a woman shown from head to toe, standing in a confident pose. The woman's head is slightly turned to the left, facing forward. She has delicately drawn facial features, short hair framing her face, and is wearing a long black gown with a deep neckline. A light-colored wrap or scarf drapes around her arms and shoulders. She is holding a part of her outfit. There is no visible jewelry. The background has sketchy cross-hatching and lines, creating a textured effect. The sketch is labeled "Arrangement in Black, No 3" beneath the figure.
Read the visual description

The image depicts a sketch of a woman shown from head to toe, standing in a confident pose. The woman's head is slightly turned to the left, facing forward. She has delicately drawn facial features, short hair framing her face, and is wearing a long black gown with a deep neckline. A light-colored wrap or scarf drapes around her arms and shoulders. She is holding a part of her outfit. There is no visible jewelry. The background has sketchy cross-hatching and lines, creating a textured effect. The sketch is labeled "Arrangement in Black, No 3" beneath the figure.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

Arrangement in Black - No.3

James McNeill Whistler

Date
1881
Medium
graphite, pen and brown ink on off-white laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 17.8 × 11.4 cm (7 × 4 1/2 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
1943.3.8817
Credit line
Rosenwald Collection
Time span
1876 to 1900
Department
CG-W

Subjects and terms

  • American
  • female
  • portrait
  • Realist
  • Meux, Lady
Provenance

Lessing Julius Rosenwald [1891-1971], Philadelphia, (Lugt 1760b); gift to National Gallery of Art, 1943.

Inscription

center left in brown ink: butterfly signature; across bottom in pen and brown ink: Arrangement in Black- No. 3; lower right in graphite: butterfly signature added later (c.1890); lower right in graphite by unknown hand: 3588.; lower left verso in graphite by unkown hand: a61268

Marks

center left verso in black ink: Lessing J. Rosenwald stamp; center verso in blue ink: NGA/LJR stamp

NGA object ID 11316. 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.