Provenance
John Ross Key, acquired directly from the artist [Chicago Times Herald 1896]; possibly sold to Keppel, New York, 1896 [MacDonald 1995]. Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916), Chicago [stamp (Lugt 2972) verso, lower left, in red]; by descent to his wife, Mrs. Helen Lynde Aldis Lathrop (1849-1935); given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1934.
Accession Number
113098
Medium
Pen and black ink over graphite (recto), and graphite (verso), on cream wove paper
Dimensions
13.6 × 7.8 cm (5 3/8 × 3 1/8 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Credit Line
Bryan Lathrop Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
James McNeill Whistler's double-sided drawing Hussar (recto) and Man with a Top Hat and Bandaged Head (verso) (1854/55) is a pen and black ink over graphite on cream wove paper. The recto shows a hussar, a light cavalry soldier, in his distinctive uniform. The verso shows a man with a top hat and a bandaged head, perhaps a wounded civilian or a figure from the streets of Paris or London. The double-sided nature of this sheet is particularly valuable, showing the young Whistler's range of interests. The pen and ink technique is rapid and expressive, the lines capturing the essential character of each figure with economy and confidence. These early studies date from the period when Whistler was studying art in Paris and making his first independent works. The contrast between the military figure and the wounded civilian may reflect the artist's observations of the Crimean War period.
Cultural Impact
Whistler's double-sided study sheets provide insight into his working method and the range of his early interests.
Why It Matters
This double-sided drawing shows the young Whistler's versatility, the military figure and the wounded civilian both captured with the same rapid, expressive line.
