Study

American by birth, Whistler had been living in London for almost two decades when he took up the medium of lithography. Here, in his first lithograph, Whistler returned to the subject of his 1873 etching. He depicted Maud in a similar pose, with her characteristic flounced dress and elaborate hat, but this time exploited the qualities of a different medium. He suggested the figure and shadows behind her in soft, greasy lithographic crayon, achieving a range of tonal effects that were not possible with etched lines.