Artwork preview

The Terrace, Luxembourg

James McNeill Whistler

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a sketch featuring several figures, with the lower parts of their bodies visible. Some figures are sitting while others are standing. The seated figures seem to be sitting on chairs and are likely women wearing long dresses and hats with brims. The standing figure to the right is in a side profile, also wearing a long dress and a hat, with another small figure nearby. The figures are not detailed, consistent with the sketch's minimalist style. They are dressed in attire indicative of an earlier era. Surrounding the figures is a railing or balcony, with a large decorative vase holding plants or flowers. In the background, there is a faint outline hinting at a large building or structure with sketched tree branches extending above the people in the foreground. The composition is a pencil drawing on a plain background, with a light and airy feel.

Artwork Details

Date
1894
Medium
lithograph in black on laid paper
Dimensions
4892 × 3243 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette