Works on Paper

Whistler regularly travelled with his drawing and painting materials so that he could work wherever he wanted to. He had special bags with compartments for different objects. His works on paper provide a kind of visual diary of his daily life and travels.

Whistler was very particular about the kind of paper he used for his drawings, pastels, watercolours and prints. He was concerned about its colour, texture, weight, weave and feel. Modern paper made from wood pulp and bleached with chemicals gave poor results because it was too brilliant white in colour and too uniform and processed in texture. It was not absorbent and failed to give subtle effects. Instead, Whistler hunted out old Dutch paper in second hand shops. This was thick and fibrous, and golden in colour. He would tear out pages from old books, sometimes even from rare manuscripts. He also liked to use Japanese paper, which was thin and delicate.