About this artwork
Long before Whistler conceived of the portrait of his mother, his most important early models were his half-sister, Deborah Haden, and her family. Deborah was married to the physician, print collector, and amateur artist Francis Seymour Haden, and they had three children, Annie, Seymour, and Arthur. During one visit in 1859, Whistler created ambitious but personal depictions of the family, including the multifigure The Music Room (1917.444), which portrays the couple along with Haden’s medical partner, James Traer, as deeply absorbed in their respective activities. Meanwhile, the severe profile of Deborah in Reading by Lamplight anticipates Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- James McNeill Whistler
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Title
- Reading by Lamplight
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Place
- United States (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1859
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Medium
- Etching and drypoint, with foul biting, in black on cream laid paper
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Dimensions
- Plate: 16 × 11.9 cm (6 5/16 × 4 11/16 in.); Sheet: 23.2 × 16.8 cm (9 3/16 × 6 5/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Bequest of Bryan Lathrop
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Reference Number
- 1917.443
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/73412/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
