The Embroidered Curtain

1889

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

James McNeill Whistler

Printer, American, 1834 - 1903

This is a drawing of a detailed façade of a row of buildings. The scene shows a street view with architectural elements like large windows, doors, and ornamental details on the building exteriors. A sign reading "Water de Vuur" is visible. The lower part of the drawing shows a reflection of the structures above. The texture of the drawing is rich and etched, giving a historical and atmospheric feel.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and drypoint in brown on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate (cut to plate mark): 23.7 × 16 cm (9 5/16 × 6 5/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8646

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    MacDonald 2012, no. 451, state x/x

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, stock no. a 66612). Herbert Charles Jerome Pollitt [1910]. Bought 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.

  • Five Centuries of Print Making, The Print Club of Philadelphia, 1931, no. 61.

1933

  • An Exhibition of Prints from the Collection of Lessing J. Rosenwald, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 1933, no. 196.

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 410, v/vii.

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. 451, state x/x.

Inscriptions

[Whistler's butterfly signature] upper left composition, in plate, artist's hand. "[Whistler's butterfly signature] imp" lower left tab, graphite, artist's hand. Not dated. "WATER / te / VUUR" center left composition, in plate, artist's hand. "for Wünderlich" verso, lower right sheet, graphite, unknown hand.

Markings

"LRJ" verso, black stamped ink, stamped twice. "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink.

Watermarks

None.

Wikidata ID

Q65022064

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