A Sketch from Billingsgate

1878

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The image shows boats and ships docked at a harbor. The viewpoint is from the water's edge, angled to display the masts and sails of the boats vertically. The horizon is not visible, with ships and buildings extending across the middle to upper third of the image. Delicate and precise brushstrokes capture the details of the ships. The palette is monochromatic, with shades of black and gray against a light cream background. Skiffs and rowboats are closest to us, sketched in thin lines, with larger sailing vessels and city structures in the distance. The style resembles a classic etching technique, creating a detailed maritime view with fine lines.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    drypoint on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 14.61 x 22.54 cm (5 3/4 x 8 7/8 in.)
    sheet: 20.96 x 33.02 cm (8 1/4 x 13 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8504

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Kennedy 1910, no. 168, iii/vi

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Royal Collection, Windsor, (Lugt 2535); sold to Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 1906; (H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, stock no. 41644, valued at £27, stock no. changed to a41996); sold 1906 to unidentified collector for $500. Probably in the 1920s with Kennedy & Co., New York. Lessing Julius Rosenwald [1891-1971], Philadelphia, (Lugt 1760b); gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1931

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

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 168, iii/vi.

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. 165, state v/viii.

Inscriptions

lower right on recto: W130 / 4; lower left on verso: SXX-

Watermarks

IV countermark

Wikidata ID

Q65021921

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