Deux Artistes Célèbres de Paris

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) · 1858

Whistler and Delannoy paid for some of their travel expenses by making portraits along the road. Lack of funds was a difficulty, but Whistler later told his sister Deborah Haden that they had encountered some "sunnier moments." He described how they "came upon a fair--how I there made a portrait of 'butchers, bakers, candlestickmakers!' for five groschen apiece--that is a little more than four-pence!!!" In this drawing, Whistler depicts the amusing side of his predicament. A huckster rings a bell while bawling out the bargain rate at which the two young artists were willing to make their sketches.