23. Walter Greaves
(1846-1930)

Portrait of a Woman

(click on image to print)
Greaves, Portrait of a Woman

Portrait of a Woman

Etching and drypoint, unknown date, 189 x 154 mm. Fine impression on Turkey Mill laid paper with full margins. Greaves, the son of a boat builder in Chelsea was Whistler's first student. He and his brother Henry, both of whom painted, became friendly with Whistler and guided him through the old buildings, alleyways and wharves of Chelsea. In return, Whistler corrected their paintings and taught them to etch. While this portrait owes little to Whistler's etching technique, it owes a great deal to his paintings and his general artistic approach. Against the dark background only the face and hat are fully worked; the draped coat is indicated with only a few lines and patches of shadow. The Japanese influence is there not only in the placement of the figure but in the cut-off painting in the corner. Greaves had talent (Whistler admitted it) but there was a falling-out, made worse by his aping of Whistler's paintings in a commission to decorate a town hall. Greaves' prints are rare today.