Rotherhithe

A view from the balcony of the Angel Inn, a popular tavern in the London shipbuilding district of Rotherhithe, James McNeill Whistler's etching presents a captivating glimpse of waterfront life along the River Thames. Two locals smoking long thin pipes in the balcony corner anchor the composition's foreground. Beyond, in the vista bisected by the asymmetrically placed post, the sky and ship-cluttered river fill the upper two-thirds of the composition. At the left, Whistler vigorously delineated vertical masts, horizontal booms and spars, and the connecting rigging; visible on the horizon. Through this dense mesh of nautical lines the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral is visible. In the right background, beyond the haphazard cluster of boats, the artist rendered the curving riverbank crowded with docks and buildings. Rotherhithe is a superb example of Whistler's graphic skill as he drew directly on the etching plate on site.

Along with The Lime-Burner (TF 1995.4), Rotherhithe is an impressive example of Whistler's early work in etching and drypoint included in "A Series of Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames and Other Subjects," more popularly called "The Thames Set," which was published in 1871. Whistler's urban and industrial London subjects were considered unconventional by his contemporaries. In later prints, such as Nocturne (The River at Battersea) (TF 1994.7), however, the artist abandoned the carefully rendered, linear descriptive detail demonstrated in this print, and turned to evoking London's moody atmospheric effects by manipulating tone. 

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.

The Decorative Form: The Aesthetic Movement, Arts & Crafts and the Asian Influence in American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, September 16–December 5, 1999.

A Place on the Avenue: Terra Museum of American Art Celebrates 15 Years in Chicago, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, November 16, 2002–February 16, 2003 (on exhibit extended run: November 2, 2002–March 2, 2003).

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.

Mansfield, Howard. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Etchings and Dry-points of James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Chicago, Illinois: Caxton Club, 1909. No. 66.

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. 66.

Fryberger, Betsy G. Whistler: Themes and Variations. (exh. cat., Stanford University Museum of Art). Stanford, California: Stanford Art Book, 1978. No. 8, p. 19.

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. 20, pp. 62–63.

Lochnan, Katharine A. The Etchings of James McNeill Whistler. New Haven, Connecticut and London, England: Art Gallery of Ontario and Yale University Press, 1984. No. 70.

Dorment, Richard and Margaret F. MacDonald et al. James McNeill Whistler. (exh. cat., Tate Gallery). London, England: Tate Gallery, 1994. No. 34, pp. 104-105.