James Abbott McNeill Whistler
American, 1834 - 1903Billingsgate, 1859
Not on view
Etching on paper
Dimensions8 3/8 × 11 3/8 in. (21.3 × 28.9 cm)
Image: 6 × 8 7/8 in. (15.2 × 22.5 cm)
Gift of Mrs. R. Spencer Bishop, 1948.8
James Abbott McNeill Whistler has been acknowledged as one of the masters of etching. Whistler worked briefly in Washington D.C. for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey where he was trained as a draftsman and cartographer. There he was also introduced to etching, a process used in the reproduction of maps.
This experience helped to confirm his aspirations of becoming an artist.
Whistler was also known to carry around a plate, working directly on it from nature. He also proofed and printed most of the plates himself. On some plates, he used a feather to brush acid on the plate to get the strength of line required. In the course of his career, Whistler produced over 400 etchings and 178 lithographs, in addition to his hundreds of paintings.
