James McNeill Whistler 1834-1903

This intimate portrait depicts Héloïse, nicknamed ‘Fumette’, Whistler’s first partner with whom he lived in the Hotel Corneille and Rue St. Sulpice during his early years in Paris. A ‘grisette’ (a working-class girl, likely a milliner or seamstress), she was known for a fiery and jealous temperament, once tearing up Whistler's early drawings in a rage. In the etching, she sits informally on a low stool with her curly hair loose to her shoulders, a pose contemporary critic Frederick Wedmore deemed distinctly unladylike and "wild". However, Whistler counters this impression with a meticulous and realistic rendering of her dress, featuring full sleeves and a delicate lace collar that subtly testifies to her own professional skill at needlework. First exhibited at the 1859 Paris Salon, this is one of Whistler’s most significant early character studies.