Works – James Abbott McNeill Whistler – Artists A-Z

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1879–80

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.151

Text Entries: The London Etchings Refining the prosaic etching technique learned while working for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, James McNeill Whistler won recognition for his artistic prints of topographical views of Paris in 1858. A few years later, the Thames Set, sixteen etchings portraying the poverty of the working class along London's river thoroughfare, brought him international critical approval when exhibited in London and Paris. The Venetian Etchings Winning the notorious Whistler v. Ruskin libel trail in 1878 was a financial disaster for the artist, who was awarded a single farthing but had to pay substantial court costs. A commission from the London Fine Arts Society for twelve etchings of Venice offered Whistler an opportunity to redeem his artistic reputation. Working outdoors during his fourteen-month stay, Whistler drew directly onto a copper plate is an impressionistic interpretation of a scene that diverged significantly from his detailed etchings of London. Whistler's emphasis on the plane parallel to the surface distinguishes his views of Venice from other artists. The emphasis is not merely formal, but a way of creating a sense of theatrical anticipation. Contrasts of light and texture are emphasized by the broken intricately cross-hatched lines with which Whistler drew the figures, decaying bricks and the light wiry lines that depict the people. Returning to London in December 1880, Whistler displayed twelve of his fifty Venice etchings at the London Fine Arts Society. Known as the First Venice Set, the exhibition alternated six horizontal and six vertical subjects. The Second Venice Set of twenty-six etchings was exhibited in 1883. While the compositions range in subject from private courtyard scenes to tourist views, they all have a theatrical quality to them. Whistler's command of portraying depth in his etched landscapes and his emphasis on working from the center to the edge of the paper distinguish the series.

Fruit Stall

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1879–80

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.153

Text Entries: 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. 200 vii/vii. 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. 45, pp. 105–107. 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. 224. Grieve, Alastair. Whistler's Venice. New Haven, Connecticut, and London, England: Yale University Press, 2000. Text pp. 136, 192; fig. 167, p. 135. MacDonald, Margaret F. Palaces in the Night: Whistler in Venice. Hampshire, England: Lund Humphries, 2001. Text pp. 73, 120, 124.

The Little Mast

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1879–80

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.154

Text Entries: The London Etchings Refining the prosaic etching technique learned while working for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, James McNeill Whistler won recognition for his artistic prints of topographical views of Paris in 1858. A few years later, the Thames Set, sixteen etchings portraying the poverty of the working class along London's river thoroughfare, brought him international critical approval when exhibited in London and Paris. The Venetian Etchings Winning the notorious Whistler v. Ruskin libel trail in 1878 was a financial disaster for the artist, who was awarded a single farthing but had to pay substantial court costs. A commission from the London Fine Arts Society for twelve etchings of Venice offered Whistler an opportunity to redeem his artistic reputation. Working outdoors during his fourteen-month stay, Whistler drew directly onto a copper plate is an impressionistic interpretation of a scene that diverged significantly from his detailed etchings of London. Whistler's emphasis on the plane parallel to the surface distinguishes his views of Venice from other artists. The emphasis is not merely formal, but a way of creating a sense of theatrical anticipation. Contrasts of light and texture are emphasized by the broken intricately cross-hatched lines with which Whistler drew the figures, decaying bricks and the light wiry lines that depict the people. Returning to London in December 1880, Whistler displayed twelve of his fifty Venice etchings at the London Fine Arts Society. Known as the First Venice Set, the exhibition alternated six horizontal and six vertical subjects. The Second Venice Set of twenty-six etchings was exhibited in 1883. While the compositions range in subject from private courtyard scenes to tourist views, they all have a theatrical quality to them. Whistler's command of portraying depth in his etched landscapes and his emphasis on working from the center to the edge of the paper distinguish the series.

The Riva No. 1

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1879–80

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.156

Text Entries: 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. 192 iii/iii. 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. 203. Grieve, Alastair. Whistler's Venice. New Haven, Connecticut and London, England: Yale University Press, 2000. Text pp. 32, 107, 109, 189; fig. 124, p. 108. MacDonald, Margaret F. Palaces in the Night: Whistler in Venice. Hampshire, England: Lund Humphries, 2001. Text pp. 88, 94, 120, 128; fig. 5. Pathways to Modernism: American Art, 1865-1945. (exh. cat. Shanghai Museum with Art Institute of Chicago and Terra Foundation for American Art). Shanghai: Shanghai Museum, 2018. Text p. 56; ill. p. 58 (color). Rossetti de Toledo, Carolina, Ana Gonçalves Magalhães, and Peter John Brownlee. Atelier 17 e a gravura moderna nas Americas / Atelier 17 and Modern Printmaking in the Americas. (exh. cat., Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo). São Paulo, Brazil: 2019. Text pp. 23, ill. 1, p. 25 (color).

San Biagio

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1879–80

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.157

Text Entries: The London Etchings Refining the prosaic etching technique learned while working for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, James McNeill Whistler won recognition for his artistic prints of topographical views of Paris in 1858. A few years later, the Thames Set, sixteen etchings portraying the poverty of the working class along London's river thoroughfare, brought him international critical approval when exhibited in London and Paris. The Venetian Etchings Winning the notorious Whistler v. Ruskin libel trail in 1878 was a financial disaster for the artist, who was awarded a single farthing but had to pay substantial court costs. A commission from the London Fine Arts Society for twelve etchings of Venice offered Whistler an opportunity to redeem his artistic reputation. Working outdoors during his fourteen-month stay, Whistler drew directly onto a copper plate is an impressionistic interpretation of a scene that diverged significantly from his detailed etchings of London. Whistler's emphasis on the plane parallel to the surface distinguishes his views of Venice from other artists. The emphasis is not merely formal, but a way of creating a sense of theatrical anticipation. Contrasts of light and texture are emphasized by the broken intricately cross-hatched lines with which Whistler drew the figures, decaying bricks and the light wiry lines that depict the people. Returning to London in December 1880, Whistler displayed twelve of his fifty Venice etchings at the London Fine Arts Society. Known as the First Venice Set, the exhibition alternated six horizontal and six vertical subjects. The Second Venice Set of twenty-six etchings was exhibited in 1883. While the compositions range in subject from private courtyard scenes to tourist views, they all have a theatrical quality to them. Whistler's command of portraying depth in his etched landscapes and his emphasis on working from the center to the edge of the paper distinguish the series.

Shipping, Venice

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1879–80

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.159

Text Entries: 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. 229. 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. 196. Grieve, Alastair. Whistler's Venice. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2000. Text p. 80. MacDonald, Margaret F. Palaces in the Night: Whistler in Venice. Hampshire, England: Lund Humphries, 2001. Text p. 70. James Whistler–Zoran Music: Venecia. (exh. cat. Institut Valencià d'Art Modern) Valencià, Spain: Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, 2005. Ill, p.179 (color).

Turkeys

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1879–80

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.160

Text Entries: The London Etchings Refining the prosaic etching technique learned while working for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, James McNeill Whistler won recognition for his artistic prints of topographical views of Paris in 1858. A few years later, the Thames Set, sixteen etchings portraying the poverty of the working class along London's river thoroughfare, brought him international critical approval when exhibited in London and Paris. The Venetian Etchings Winning the notorious Whistler v. Ruskin libel trail in 1878 was a financial disaster for the artist, who was awarded a single farthing but had to pay substantial court costs. A commission from the London Fine Arts Society for twelve etchings of Venice offered Whistler an opportunity to redeem his artistic reputation. Working outdoors during his fourteen-month stay, Whistler drew directly onto a copper plate is an impressionistic interpretation of a scene that diverged significantly from his detailed etchings of London. Whistler's emphasis on the plane parallel to the surface distinguishes his views of Venice from other artists. The emphasis is not merely formal, but a way of creating a sense of theatrical anticipation. Contrasts of light and texture are emphasized by the broken intricately cross-hatched lines with which Whistler drew the figures, decaying bricks and the light wiry lines that depict the people. Returning to London in December 1880, Whistler displayed twelve of his fifty Venice etchings at the London Fine Arts Society. Known as the First Venice Set, the exhibition alternated six horizontal and six vertical subjects. The Second Venice Set of twenty-six etchings was exhibited in 1883. While the compositions range in subject from private courtyard scenes to tourist views, they all have a theatrical quality to them. Whistler's command of portraying depth in his etched landscapes and his emphasis on working from the center to the edge of the paper distinguish the series.

Upright Venice

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1879–80

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.161

Text Entries: The London Etchings Refining the prosaic etching technique learned while working for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, James McNeill Whistler won recognition for his artistic prints of topographical views of Paris in 1858. A few years later, the Thames Set, sixteen etchings portraying the poverty of the working class along London's river thoroughfare, brought him international critical approval when exhibited in London and Paris. The Venetian Etchings Winning the notorious Whistler v. Ruskin libel trail in 1878 was a financial disaster for the artist, who was awarded a single farthing but had to pay substantial court costs. A commission from the London Fine Arts Society for twelve etchings of Venice offered Whistler an opportunity to redeem his artistic reputation. Working outdoors during his fourteen-month stay, Whistler drew directly onto a copper plate is an impressionistic interpretation of a scene that diverged significantly from his detailed etchings of London. Whistler's emphasis on the plane parallel to the surface distinguishes his views of Venice from other artists. The emphasis is not merely formal, but a way of creating a sense of theatrical anticipation. Contrasts of light and texture are emphasized by the broken intricately cross-hatched lines with which Whistler drew the figures, decaying bricks and the light wiry lines that depict the people. Returning to London in December 1880, Whistler displayed twelve of his fifty Venice etchings at the London Fine Arts Society. Known as the First Venice Set, the exhibition alternated six horizontal and six vertical subjects. The Second Venice Set of twenty-six etchings was exhibited in 1883. While the compositions range in subject from private courtyard scenes to tourist views, they all have a theatrical quality to them. Whistler's command of portraying depth in his etched landscapes and his emphasis on working from the center to the edge of the paper distinguish the series.

The Two Doorways

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1879–80

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1995.22

Text Entries: The London Etchings Refining the prosaic etching technique learned while working for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, James McNeill Whistler won recognition for his artistic prints of topographical views of Paris in 1858. A few years later, the Thames Set, sixteen etchings portraying the poverty of the working class along London's river thoroughfare, brought him international critical approval when exhibited in London and Paris. The Venetian Etchings Winning the notorious Whistler v. Ruskin libel trail in 1878 was a financial disaster for the artist, who was awarded a single farthing but had to pay substantial court costs. A commission from the London Fine Arts Society for twelve etchings of Venice offered Whistler an opportunity to redeem his artistic reputation. Working outdoors during his fourteen-month stay, Whistler drew directly onto a copper plate is an impressionistic interpretation of a scene that diverged significantly from his detailed etchings of London. Whistler's emphasis on the plane parallel to the surface distinguishes his views of Venice from other artists. The emphasis is not merely formal, but a way of creating a sense of theatrical anticipation. Contrasts of light and texture are emphasized by the broken intricately cross-hatched lines with which Whistler drew the figures, decaying bricks and the light wiry lines that depict the people. Returning to London in December 1880, Whistler displayed twelve of his fifty Venice etchings at the London Fine Arts Society. Known as the First Venice Set, the exhibition alternated six horizontal and six vertical subjects. The Second Venice Set of twenty-six etchings was exhibited in 1883. While the compositions range in subject from private courtyard scenes to tourist views, they all have a theatrical quality to them. Whistler's command of portraying depth in his etched landscapes and his emphasis on working from the center to the edge of the paper distinguish the series.

Beach Scene with Rocks

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: 1881

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.144

Text Entries: Atkinson, D. Scott et al. A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art. Edited by Terry A. Neff. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1987. Pl. T-34, p. 143 (color). MacDonald, Margaret F. James McNeill Whistler: Drawings, Pastels, and Watercolours; A Catalogue Raisonné. New Haven, Connecticut and London, England: Yale University Press, 1995. Text no. 855, p. 322.Bourguignon, Katherine and Valerie Reis. The Studio of Nature, 1860-1910: The Terra Collection in Context. (exh. cat, Terra Foundation for American Art with the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny). Paris, France: Réunion des musées nationaux, 2020. Text p. 44; Pl. 25, p. 90 (color).

Beggars

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: c. 1892

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1994.8

Text Entries: 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. 194 ix/x. 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. 192. Reymond, Nathalie. Un regard américain sur Paris (An American Glance at Paris). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1997. Text p. 99; ill. p. 99 (color). [specific reference to Terra print] Grieve, Alastair. Whistler's Venice. New Haven, Connecticut and London, England: Yale University Press, 2000. Text pp. 36, 39, 59, 128, 131, 189; fig. 16, p. 37 (K.194 ix). MacDonald, Margaret F. Palaces in the Night: Whistler in Venice. Hampshire, England: Lund Humphries, 2001. Text pp. 20–23, 39, 68, 79, 84, 88, 91, 93, 98, 128–32, 139; figs. 21, 22, p. 22 (K.194-second state, K.194-first state); figs. 104, 105 (K.194 viii/ix, K.194). Mazow, Leo G. and Kevin Murphy. Taxing Visions: Financial Episodes in Late Nineteenth-Century American Art. (exh. cat. Palmer Museum of Art, University Park, Pennsylvania and The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California). University Park, Pennsylvania: Palmer Museum of Art and San Marino, California: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, 2010. Text pp. 17, 72 (checklist); ill. fig. 14, p. 17 (color).

A Brittany Shop with Shuttered Windows

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Date: c. 1893

Credit Line: Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection

Object number: 1992.146

Text Entries: Atkinson, D. Scott et al. A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art. Edited by Terry A. Neff. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1987. Pl. T-40, p. 149 (color). Dorment, Richard and Margaret F. MacDonald et al. James McNeill Whistler. (exh. cat., Tate Gallery). London, England: Tate Gallery, 1994. Text no. 160, pp. 240–41; ill. no. 160, p. 240 (color). MacDonald, Margaret F. James McNeill Whistler: Drawings, Pastels, and Watercolours; A Catalogue Raisonné. New Haven, Connecticut and London, England: Yale University Press, 1995. Text no. 1365, p. 491; ill. no. 1365, p. 491 (color). Regard sur cinq années d'expositions (Five years of Exhibitions at a Glance). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1997. Text p. 77; ill. p. 76 (color). Tedeschi, Martha and Britt Salvesen. "Songs on Stone: James McNeill Whistler and the Art of Lithography." Museum Studies 24:1 (1998): 4–135. Text pp. 79, 83 (checklist); fig. 104, p. 78 (color).