Detail from The Canal, Amsterdam, 1889, James McNeill Whistler, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

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M.1483
Caricature of G. F. Watts

Artist: Formerly attributed to James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1896
Collection: Private Collection
Accession Number: none
Medium: pencil
Support: beige laid paper
Size: 8 13/16 x 6 11/16" (224 x 170 mm)
Signature: butterfly
Inscription: 'This sketch is the subject of Watts famous picture// Minotaur painted by G. F. Watts, after reading about White Slave Traffic in London// 83-/ By J. M. WHISTLER (Minotaur by Watts)' written in various hands

Caricature of G. F. Watts

Composition

Caricature of G. F. Watts, Private Collection
Caricature of G. F. Watts, Private Collection

The caricature is based on the painting by George Frederick Watts (1817-1904), The Minotaur (1885) Tate Britain. The minotaur seems to be holding a small creature in his hand.

Technique

It was drawn with broad, somewhat loose lines, with bold scribbles for shading. The artist drew a rough frame round the picture. The butterfly looks lop-sided and unlike Whistler's usual monogram. The angular style of drawing, likewise, is not like his usual work.

Last updated: 5th March 2021 by Margaret