Morning Glories

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) · 1871-1873

While working to improve his facility with drawing and composition, Whistler made studies of classically draped models in Japanese attitudes, posing in front of a bamboo railing he designed especially for this purpose. The chalk drawings are studies in line, as the Six Projects (see F1902.138, F1903.175--F1903.179) are studies in color, for elaborate figure paintings Whistler was never able to complete, though he would use some of the themes in pastel drawings such as Morning Glories and Annabel Lee (F1905.129), which was completed years later. Whistler signed the drawings around 1874, placing his butterfly emblem beside each figure as though it were a Japanese artist’s seal.