Turkeys

James McNeill Whistler's etching Turkeys demonstrates the artist's quest for the picturesque in typical Venetian daily life in its presentation of a quiet courtyard with a woman approaching a well amidst a flock of turkeys. Sketched in the background is a building with a pair of figures descending a flight of stairs; on the stair landing, partly shaded by a vine, a seated man and a woman holding an infant view the scene. Whistler included other anecdotal details, such as a cat (at the upper right), the back of a lounging youth (at far right), and a large anchor propped against the building (visible above the well). The delicate lines and scratch marks, somewhat resembling the scrawled handwriting of Whistler's reductive style, animate this unconventional glimpse of private domesticity, a scene remote from the canals and lagoon that more typically figure in artists' views of Venice.

Turkeys is one of fifty etchings Whistler created during his visit to Venice in 1879–80 to fulfill a commission from the Fine Art Society, a London gallery. The artist presented his images of Venice in several exhibitions following his return to London. This print was published in 1886 in "A Set of Twenty-six Etchings," known as the "Second Venice Set." It was one of many casual renderings of prosaic Venetian scenes in which Whistler demonstrated his intimate, behind-the-scenes acquaintance with a city whose grander sights had long drawn tourists.

Regard sur James Abbott McNeill Whistler (James Abbott McNeill Whistler at a Glance), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 1–October 30, 1994 (on exhibit partial run: September 20–October 30, 1994).

American Treasures: Chase, Whistler and the Prendergasts, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 26, 1996–January 5, 1997.

Modern Harmonies: Whistler Reflects on his Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, May 31–August 31, 2003.

Kennedy, Edward Guthrie. The Etched Work of Whistler. Illustrated by reproductions in collotype of the different states of the plates. New York: Grolier Club, 1910. No. 199 ii/ii.

Fine, Ruth E. Drawing Near: Whistler Etchings from the Zelman Collection. (exh. cat., Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1984. No. 47, pp. 108–109.

Lochnan, Katharine A. The Etchings of James McNeill Whistler. New Haven, Connecticut and London, England: Art Gallery of Ontario and Yale University Press, 1984. Text p. 232.

Grieve, Alastair. Whistler's Venice. New Haven, Connecticut, and London, England: Yale University Press, 2000. Text pp. 128, 131, 192; fig. 158, p. 129 (K.199 ii).

MacDonald, Margaret F. Palaces in the Night: Whistler in Venice. Hampshire, England: Lund Humphries, 2001. Text pp. 73, 120–22; fig. 123, p. 121.