About this artwork
In addition to large-scale portraits, James McNeill Whistler created small-scale likenesses, often on wood panel, as in this painting of a young sitter. A well-known beauty, Olga Caracciolo lived in Dieppe, France, likely where this work was executed, and later married the photographer Adolf de Meyer. Rather than a swift, abbreviated study for a larger composition, Whistler considered a work such as this to be a satisfying aesthetic whole. Indeed, small paintings serve as invitations for an intimate viewing experience and contemplation of the artist’s harmonies of color and form.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 176
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Department
- Arts of the Americas
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Artist
- James McNeill Whistler
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Title
- Study of a Girl's Head and Shoulders
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Origin
- United States
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Date
- c. 1896–1897
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Medium
- Oil on panel
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Inscriptions
- Signed with the Butterfly
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Dimensions
- 15.5 × 9.5 cm (6 1/8 × 3 3/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Walter S. Brewster Collection
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Reference Number
- 1933.212
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/14317/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
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