Provenance
The artist to John Ross Key [Chicago Times Herald 1896]. Charles Deering (1852–1927), Chicago [stamp (Lugt 516) verso, lower right, in blue]; by descent to his daughters, Mrs. Chauncey McCormick (née Marion Deering; 1886–1965), Chicago and Mrs. Richard Ely Danielson (née Barbara Deering; 1885–1957), Chicago; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1927.
Accession Number
50745
Medium
Pen and black ink over graphite on cream wove paper
Dimensions
13.2 × 6.5 cm (5 1/4 × 2 9/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Credit Line
The Charles Deering Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
James McNeill Whistler's Gendarme (1854/55) is a pen and black ink drawing over graphite on cream wove paper, depicting a French gendarme in uniform. The gendarme is shown standing at ease or on patrol, his distinctive uniform and hat rendering him immediately recognizable. Whistler's treatment is characteristically economical: a few strokes of the pen are sufficient to capture the figure, his uniform, and his bearing. The graphite underdrawing provides initial structure. This drawing belongs to the series of figure studies Whistler made in the mid-1850s, recording the types and characters he encountered on the streets of Paris. These studies are among Whistler's earliest surviving works and show the foundation of his art in the direct observation of everyday life. The gendarme, like the soldier and the lancer, is a figure from the public life of the city, a representative of authority and order captured with the young artist's sharp eye for character.
Cultural Impact
Whistler's studies of Parisian street types document the social fabric of mid-19th-century Paris, providing a visual record of the city's diverse population.
Why It Matters
This drawing of a gendarme captures the figure of authority with economy and precision, the young Whistler's pen line already showing the gift for character that would define his mature work.
