The artwork, titled “Miss Ethel Philip Reading,” was created by the artist James McNeill Whistler around the year 1894. It is an oil painting on canvas with dimensions of 21.27 x 12.7 cm. This piece belongs to the Tonalism art movement and falls under the genre painting category.
In “Miss Ethel Philip Reading,” Whistler employs a soft, muted color palette, characteristic of the Tonalism movement, to depict an intimate and contemplative scene. The subject, Miss Ethel Philip, is shown seated in a relaxed pose, engrossed in reading a book. The minimalistic and abstracted background, possibly hinting at an interior setting with plants and furniture, further accentuates the quiet and serene atmosphere. The artist’s use of broad brush strokes and subtle gradations of color creates a harmonious balance between the figure and the surrounding space, evoking a sense of tranquility and introspection.
