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.

Wikidata ID

Q65022064

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