Study for "From My Window" [1 of 3]

These three studies (77.35A-C) were made for a wood engraving to illustrate Frederick H. Whymper’s poem “From My Window,” published in the periodical Once a Week in 1861. They show the artist’s process as he carefully worked out the angle at which the figure bends to peer out the window. The artist has paid careful attention to the silken texture of the figure’s billowing sleeve and the contrast between the soft waves of her hair and the smooth skin of her neck. The delicate features and graceful fingers help create an image of refined and subtly melancholic beauty appropriate to the tone of the poem (2022).