The Whistler Book / A Monograph of the Life and Position in Art of James McNeill / Whistler, Together with a Careful Study of His More / Important Works

Author:Sadakichi Hartmann [Hartmann, Sadakichi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-05-27T16:00:00+00:00

Owned by Richard A. Canfield

ARRANGEMENT IN BLACK AND GOLD: COMTE DE MONTESQUIOU.

In his two, perhaps, most important pictures, which are generally conceded to be his masterpieces, his "Carlyle" and "The Artist's Mother," both arrangements in black and grey, the painter is a trifle more precise in line. He depicted, as background, actual walls of a room and made an unusual excursion to the domain of space arrangement. Had he at the time arrived at the conclusion that a deep sentiment, no matter how vague, as that of a great philosopher and an adorable woman, can be rendered successfully by illusion rather than suggestion!

The "Carlyle" was exhibited as early as 1877, and purchased after many weary negotiations by the Glasgow City Gallery in 1891. It is a masterpiece of characterization, of tone and space composition. It is a most formidable object lesson to any portraitist. Notice how purely simple and well balanced the composition of "Carlyle" is, how all the details of dress have been eliminated, how the outline has been accentuated against the background, how naturally the figure is seated, and how well it has been placed in space. There is an atmosphere around the figure. One feels that the person is seated in a room.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.