The Thames

1896

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The image displays a river with a cityscape in the background. The horizon is slightly above the midpoint of the composition, with various buildings and a tall chimney emitting smoke. The viewpoint appears elevated, providing a wide look over the calm water. The reflection of the scene is visible in the river. The artwork is created with soft, grainy brushstrokes or pencil work blending the elements. The color scheme is monochromatic and the overall atmosphere is serene, with foliage at the bottom of the image adding depth.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    lithograph in black on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    image: 26.7 × 19.6 cm (10 1/2 × 7 11/16 in.)
    sheet: 31.3 × 21.3 cm (12 5/16 × 8 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.8779

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Stratis & Tedeschi 1998, no. 161, iii/iii

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

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.

1971

  • An Impressionist View on Paper - from the Lessing Rosenwald Collection of the National Gallery, Washington, D.C, Art Gallery at the University of Notre Dame, 1971, no. 45.

1986

  • Graphic Survey Show, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1986-1987.

Bibliography

1896

  • Way, Thomas Robert. Mr. Whistler's Lithographs: The Catalogue. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1896; New York: H. Wunderlich & Co., 1905, no. 125.

1998

  • Stratis, Harriet K., and Martha Tedeschi, eds. The Lithographs of James McNeill Whistler, vol. 1. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1998, pp. 454-459, no. 161, iii/iii.

Wikidata ID

Q65022198

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