Old Woman with Rags 1858

"Old Woman with Rags" is an etching by James Abbott McNeill Whistler created in 1858. The etching depicts an elderly woman, with a shawl covering her head, hunched over in a dimly lit room, possibly a kitchen. The subject of the artwork is framed in a doorway, and the composition gives a sense of isolation and poverty. The etching's style is characterized by Whistler's use of delicate lines and subtle shading, creating a sense of realism. This piece demonstrates Whistler's early interest in portraying the lives of ordinary people.