Maud, Standing

James McNeill Whistler's Maud, Standing portrays Maud (Mary) Franklin as a slender young woman in striking profile; she is fashionably dressed in a bonnet and tightly fitting dress with elegant flounces at the back, shown to advantage in this view from behind. On this particular impression, the artist hand-brushed gray and brown washes to accentuate the folds of her dress, to add a tippet covering her shoulders, and to darken the background the better to set off  the figure. This rare impression is an early version of a print on which Whistler worked for a five-year period; taking the plate through twelve states before he achieved the final effect he desired, he made several revisions to Maud's pose and attire as well as to the background surrounding her figure. As in the example of the ninth state (TF 1998.148) , this lovely full-length image is more fashion plate than portrait, emphasizing Maud's sophisticated appearance rather than hinting at her inner character.

Maud served as the artist's favorite model for numerous painted, drawn, and printed portraits and figure studies. She began modeling for Whistler around 1872, shortly before this print was made. By 1877, she had become Whistler's mistress, providing devoted companionship during a difficult and controversy-ridden period in his London career that included disputes with powerful patrons, his 1878 libel trial with the eminent art critic John Ruskin, and bankruptcy. In the course of their relationship, Maud bore Whistler two daughters, who were sent to be raised by foster parents. In 1879–1880, she accompanied Whistler to Venice, where he recovered from his social disgrace and financial ruin by creating a new series of etchings and pastels. In 1888, Whistler abruptly left Maud to marry Beatrice Godwin, widow of architect E.W. Godwin. Maud then moved to Paris, where she eventually married a wealthy New Yorker, with whom she had a son; following her husband's death, she remarried, ultimately settling in Cannes, France, where she died.

Regard sur James Abbott McNeill Whistler (James Abbott McNeill Whistler at a Glance), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 1–October 30, 1994.

American Treasures: Chase, Whistler and the Prendergasts, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 26, 1996–January 5, 1997.

Songs on Stone: James McNeill Whistler and the Art of Lithography, The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venues: The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, June 6–August 30, 1998; The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, October 1–January 3, 1999. [exh. cat.]

On Process: The American Print, Technique Examined, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, January 13–March 2, 2001.

A Place on the Avenue: Terra Museum of American Art Celebrates 15 Years in Chicago, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 16, 2002–February 16, 2003 (on exhibit extended run: November 2, 2002–March 2, 2003).

Modern Harmonies: Whistler Reflects on his Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, May 31–August 31, 2003.

Expanded Galleries of American Art with Loans from the Terra Foundation for American Art Collection, [Gallery 163] The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, April 15–July 2005.

Portrait of a Lady : peintures et photographies américaines en France, 1870–1915 (Portrait of a Lady: American Paintings and Photographs in France, 1870–1915), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France (organizers). Venues: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, Giverny, France, April 1–July 14, 2008; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, September 25, 2008–January 5, 2009 (exhibited in Bordeaux). [exh. cat.]

Kennedy, Edward Guthrie. The Etched Work of Whistler. Illustrated by reproductions in collotype of the different states of the plates. New York: Grolier Club, 1910. No. 114.

Lochnan, Katharine A. The Etchings of James McNeill Whistler. New Haven, Connecticut, and London, England: Art Gallery of Ontario and Yale University Press, 1984. No. 118.

Tedeschi, Martha and Britt Salvesen. "Songs on Stone: James McNeill Whistler and the Art of Lithography." Museum Studies 24:1 (1998): 4–135. Ill. p. 23 (black & white). [specific reference to Terra print]

Stratis, Harriet K. and Martha Tedeschi, eds. The Lithographs of James McNeill Whistler. Vol. 1. A Catalogue Raisonné. Chicago, Illinois: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1998. Text pp. 42, 51, 73; fig. 3, p. 42 (black & white). [specific reference to Terra print]

Lecomte, Vanessa, editor. Portrait of a Lady : peinture et photographies américains (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny and Musée des beaux-arts de Bordeaux). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for American Art, 2008. Text (checklist) p. 95.