Maud, Standing

James McNeill Whistler's Maud, Standing portrays Maud (Mary) Franklin (1857-1939) 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 impression, the artist hand-brushed gray and brown washes to accentuate the folds of her dress, to add a tippet (or shawl) 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 several years; taking the plate through twelve states (or variations) 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 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, and by 1877, she had become his mistress, providing companionship during a difficult and controversy-ridden period in his London career. In 1879, she accompanied Whistler to Venice and remained with him until his marriage in 1888 to Beatrice Godwin (1857-1896), widow of architect E.W. Godwin.

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.