Cylindrical vase with thick neck

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) · 1876

Two preliminary sketches precede the final version of this Rouleu vase, clumsily described in the Thompson catalogue as cylindrical vase, with thick neck. The elegant vase stood 18" tall and was probably an 18th-century piece. Prunus branches decorate the vase--these were popularly called hawthorne blossoms during the 1870's. One of Whistler's sketches is awkward in outline, executed on blue paper in gray and blue wash heightened with white. The other has a midline that helps establish the balanced symmetry of the form. In the final version Whistler eliminated most of the shadowy still life background and titled the vase slightly forward, emphasizing its undercut foot and strong silhouette. It was drawn with light-colored ink before the dark background was filled in using a rich wash that left the prunus blossoms in reserve as they would have been on the original porcelain.