The Cap 1893

James Abbott McNeill Whistler created this drawing with graphite on paper, a study of a draped figure with a cap. The soft cap on the figure’s head is unassuming, yet it carries echoes through art history. Head coverings have been markers of identity and status across centuries and cultures. In classical antiquity, caps signified freedom from servitude, and they reappear in the French Revolution as symbols of liberation. Think of the Phrygian cap, donned by revolutionaries, its floppy shape a defiant gesture against the rigid crowns of monarchy. Here, Whistler subtly invokes this lineage. While the figure appears to be in repose, the cap suggests more than just a casual covering; it hints at a spirit of independence, a subtle nod to the ongoing dialogues about freedom and identity. This humble cap, therefore, becomes a poignant symbol, transformed and renewed by the currents of history.