Alice Butt (1895). James Abbott McNeill Whistler (American, 1834-1903). Oil on canvas. National Gall
Alice Butt (1895). James Abbott McNeill Whistler (American, 1834-1903). Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art.Little is known about this painting’s subject, whom Whistler identified as “a little child called ‘Alice Butt'—charming—quite Italian in type.” Set against a red background, Alice Butt is noteworthy for her disheveled hair and full, red lips; she looks directly at the viewer. In the 1890s, Whistler often toured London’s poorest neighborhoods in search of engaging subjects to paint. He was particularly drawn to young children, whose innocent faces and tattered clothing appealed to the artist’s sense of the picturesque. The result was a series of full-face bust studies of young street children, of which Alice Butt—a vivid and adeptly painted portrait—is an outstanding example. -- source link
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