The Blacksmith

James McNeill Whistler

National Gallery of Art

The image is a sketched illustration of a man shown from the waist up. He is facing forward with a slight tilt to his posture, and one arm appears to be resting on something in front of him. The man's facial features are faintly detailed; he seems to have a mustache and his head is turned to the side. His hair is short and dark. He is wearing a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. The background shows various objects and structures, like the large wheel of a cart in the foreground and some indistinct forms suggestive of pottery or jars.