Customs Shed

1875-1876

James Wells Champney

Associated Names
James Wells Champney

Artist, American, 1843 - 1903

This is a drawing of a customs scene at a port. The image shows trunks, bags, and goods being handled and inspected at a customs office, with a stream of individuals moving through the large space. The foreground includes people engaging with luggage, conversing, or queuing at the customs house. In the background, more figures are crowded together, suggesting a busy port atmosphere. The drawing is detailed, emphasizing travel and inspection processes with fine lines and a monochromatic palette.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(The Old Print Shop, New York); Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1963; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1981

  • Of Time and Place: American Figurative Art from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, 1981-1983, pp. 58-59, no. 16, repro

Bibliography

1876

  • "Notes sur les Etats Unis." L'Illustration 67 ( April 22, 1876).

1983

  • Simmons, Linda Crocker and with the assistance of Adrianne J. Humphrey, et al. American Drawings, Watercolors, Pastels, and Collages in the Collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1983: p. 96, no. 627.

Inscriptions

lower left in black ink: Champney; upper left verso in black ink by unknown hand: 8.c. / 2074; upper left verso in graphite by unknown hand: P 1

Wikidata ID

Q64580737

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