The Little Forge

1875

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

This is a drawing of several figures in a dimly lit interior setting. The scene is characterized by sketchy lines and darker shading in certain areas. The figures appear to be engaged in various activities, with one seemingly bent over a task in the foreground. The composition leads the eye around the picture, with the forms of the figures being defined through an interplay of light and shadow. The background features a textured treatment, suggesting a rustic or workshop-like environment. The lines are loose and flowing, giving the drawing an impressionistic feel, highlighting the movement and interactions within the space.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    drypoint on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8478

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Kennedy 1910, no. 147, ii/viii

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge [1845?-1924], Glasgow, (Lugt 394). (H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, stock no. a 37281). Henry Harper Benedict [1844-1935], New York, (Lugt 1298),. Lessing Julius Rosenwald [1891-1971], Philadelphia, (Lugt 1760b-c); gift to National Gallery of Art, 1943.  

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1931

  • Etchings, Lithographs, Original Drawings, and Autograph Letters by James A. McNeill Whistler, The Free Library of Philadelphia, 1931.

1985

  • Figure Prints from the National Gallery's Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1985-1986, no cat.

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 147, ii/viii.

2012

  • MacDonald, Margaret F., Grischka Petri, Joanna Meacock.James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, a catalogue raisonné. University of Glasgow on-line website at http://etchings.arts.gla.ac.uk. University of Glasgow, 2012: no. 141, state iv/xvi.

Inscriptions

lower left on the recto: butterfly imp. / 45; by later hand: e

Watermarks

Hunting horn in shield / WR (not in Chicago)

Wikidata ID

Q65021895

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