Group of four men 1858

James McNeill Whistler sketched "Group of four men" using graphite on paper, showing men gathered perhaps in a pub. Whistler lived as an expatriate in London and Paris, and in both places there was an emerging sense of the modern, the city, the casual, and especially, the masculine. Whistler, like many artists of his time, was interested in capturing everyday life. The sketch invites us into this masculine space of camaraderie and leisure, but its fleeting quality also acknowledges the tentative nature of such social bonds. The use of quick, light lines conveys a sense of movement and informality. The men, dressed in what appear to be casual hats and coats, suggest a departure from more formal, traditional portraiture. This drawing offers a glimpse into the shifting social dynamics of the 19th century, where new forms of male bonding and leisure were emerging, captured here with a delicate, almost ephemeral touch.