The Towing-Path

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The image features fine lines drawn with ink pen. The horizon shows faint vegetation and structures. The sparse brushstrokes suggest trees, figures, and possibly horses. There is a simple depiction of water with horizontal lines suggesting its texture. The color palette is minimal, with natural paper tone and dark ink.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (trimmed to plate): 4.8 × 8.3 cm (1 7/8 × 3 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8572

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    MacDonald 2012, no. 325, only state

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, stock no. a 44554); purchased July 30, 1928 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. 254.

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. 325, only state.

Inscriptions

on plate: (butterfly); lower right on the verso: (butterfly) imp; lower left on verso: a 44554; a (number erased); upper left on the verso: Towpath

Watermarks

none

Wikidata ID

Q65021988

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