Ponte del Piovan

1879-1880

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The image shows a scene from a canal perspective looking up towards a stone bridge. The water reflects the structures above, with the bridge forming a prominent horizontal line across the image. Two figures are seen interacting on the bridge. Beyond the bridge, buildings rise vertically with balconies and archways in the urban landscape. The horizon is not visible in the composition, which focuses on the city structures. The brushstrokes are delicate and intricate, capturing details and textures in the stonework and water surface. The monochromatic palette in shades of sepia or light brown gives a classic, timeless quality to the scene, echoing the historic architecture depicted.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.
Not on view See artworks now on view

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and drypoint in brown-black on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Bequest of Julius Garfinckel)

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to platemark): 22.7 × 15.24 cm (8 15/16 × 6 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.422

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    MacDonald 2012, no. 220, state vi/vi

  • Series Title

    Twenty-Six Etchings

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Frederick Keppel & Co., New York); Julius Garfinckel, Washington, DC; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1938; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1952

  • Whistler, Hunter Gallery of Art, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1952

1982

  • Whistler’s World: The Master’s Etchings, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1982, no. 34

1990

  • Haden, Whistler, Pennell: Three Master Printmakers in the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1990, no. 50, repro

2003

  • Whistler and His Circle in Venice, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2003, p. 103, no. 64, repro

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 209.

2012

  • MacDonald, Margaret, Grischka Petri, Meg Hausberg, and Joanna Meacock. James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, A Catalogue Raisonné. Scotland: University of Glasgow, 2012, no. 220, vi/vi. http://etchings.arts.gla.ac.uk

Inscriptions

lower left in graphite: [the artist's butterfly] imp.

Wikidata ID

Q77008717

You may be interested in

Loading Results