Ross Winans |  Freer Gallery of Art (1898.322) | |
| Number: | 72 | |
| Date: | 1860 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 253 x 203 mm | |
| Signed: | 'Whistler.' at upper right (1-final); 'Whistler' in upper right corner (1); corner signature erased (2) | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 2 | |
| Known impressions: | 8 | |
| Catalogues: | K.88; M.88; T.67; W.76 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (8) | ||
KEYWORD
accordion, man seated, music, musician, portrait.
TITLE
The title has consistently been the sitter's name, with few variations, for example:
'Ross Winans' (1870s, Whistler). 1
'Ross Winans' (1874, Ralph Thomas, Jr (1840-1876)). 2
'Ross Winans playing the accordion' (1876, Sotheby's) 3
The title 'Ross Winans' was that used by Whistler and is generally accepted.
'Ross Winans' (1870s, Whistler). 1
'Ross Winans' (1874, Ralph Thomas, Jr (1840-1876)). 2
'Ross Winans playing the accordion' (1876, Sotheby's) 3
The title 'Ross Winans' was that used by Whistler and is generally accepted.
DESCRIPTION
A three-quarter length portrait of a young man with short curly hair and with a moustache, who sits facing three-quarters right, playing an accordion. On a table at the right are a violin and bow. He is lit from the left and casts a shadow on the wall behind, to right; there is shading around the lower part of the figure.
SITTER
Ross Revillon Winans (1850-1912). One impression was inscribed by Whistler 'Ross Winans' below the platemark and 'London' on the image (). Whistler had done a vigorous, slightly caricatured study of Winans in America, Ross Winans playing the violin m0194 (Metropolitan Museum of Art).
DISCUSSION
Whistler etched several portraits of musicians, including J. Becquet, Sculptor 062, The Guitar Player (M.W. Ridley) 124 and The Piano 144.