This portrait of Becquet, a sculptor and amateur musician, was done around 1860, when Whistler produced a number of fine drypoints portraits of artists and writers in Paris. Most of the plates were cancelled in 1879. This plate however was included in the "Sixteen Etchings" under the title "The Fiddler". Whistler re-used a plate on which had originally been etched a view of West Point. Traces of the early etching is visble in ithe lower portion of Becquet. Printed on thin Japan paper, state 3 of 4.
