The Traghetto, No. 2

1880

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The image shows an etching of an archway and open space, evoking a courtyard. The view is slightly angled, revealing the covered area and a distant section with a small cart or horse-drawn carriage. The horizon is obscured by the arch and shadow, with dark foliage etched above. The etching technique consists of fine lines for shadows and textures, creating a soft quality. Figures are depicted on the left and seated individuals around a table on the right, adding depth and activity to the scene. The color palette is monochrome, using variations of sepia tones for an antique feel.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and drypoint in black on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Bequest of Julius Garfinckel)

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to platemark): 23.65 × 30.32 cm (9 5/16 × 11 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.428

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    MacDonald 2012, no. 233, state viii/x

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

  • American Impressionist Prints, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1982, no. 27

  • Whistler’s World: The Master’s Etchings, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1982, no. 32

1983

  • The Grand Tour, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1983

2003

  • Whistler and His Circle in Venice, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2003, p. 90, no. 39, repro

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 191.

2012

  • MacDonald, Margaret, Grischka Petri, Meg Hausberg, and Joanna Meacock. James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, A Catalogue Raisonné. Scotland: University of Glasgow, 2012, no. 233, viii/ix. http://etchings.arts.gla.ac.uk

Inscriptions

center left in plate: [the artist's butterfly]; lower left in graphite: [the artist's butterfly] imp.; upper left verso in graphite by unknown hand: 4; lower left verso in graphite by unknown hand: B26957; lower right verso in graphite by unknown hand: FWOX.

Watermarks

[shield with fleur-de-lis]

Wikidata ID

Q77012972

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