Regent's Quadrant

1880/1881

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The etching depicts a busy urban street scene with carriages and individuals. The vantage point is low, showing a large overhanging structure supported by a column on the left side. Horizontal lines dominate the upper quarter of the image, and there is no distinct horizon visible. The brushstrokes are loose and sketch-like, with expressive cross-hatching and dynamic lines capturing the energy of the scene. The color palette is monochromatic, emphasizing black, brown, and beige tones. Figures and carriages are detailed with an impressionistic touch, creating a lively urban setting. In the distance, more buildings and activity are suggested, showing the vibrancy of city life.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and drypoint on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (trimmed to plate): 16.5 × 12.1 cm (6 1/2 × 4 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8563

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    MacDonald 2012, no. 242, state iv/vii


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Wunderlich & Co., New York.) purchased November 7, 1929 by Lessing Julius Rosenwald [1891-1971], Philadelphia, (Lugt 1760b); 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.

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 239, iii/iv.

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. 242, state iv/vii.

Inscriptions

on plate: (butterfly); on tab: (butterfly) imp; lower left on verso: c.7206 [?]; lower right on verso: C 22746 (underlined) / esx-

Watermarks

none

Wikidata ID

Q65021979

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