The Little Pool

1861

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The image shows a waterfront scene with two men in dark coats and hats leaning on a railing as they look at the bustling harbor. Small boats are scattered across the river with people paddling in some of them. In the distance, large ships are docked along the harbor with intricate rigging and masts pointing towards the sky. The city structures are faintly outlined in the background. The horizon is not clearly defined, blending into the cityscape. Loose, sketch-like brushstrokes and etching techniques are used to depict movement and an airy atmosphere. The color palette is monochromatic, primarily black and gray, emphasizing depth and the active waterfront.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and drypoint in black on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Museum exchange)

  • Dimensions

    plate: 10.16 × 12.54 cm (4 × 4 15/16 in.)
    sheet: 12.54 × 14.92 cm (4 15/16 × 5 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.775

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    MacDonald 2012, no. 79, state ix/ix

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1952; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1982

  • Whistler’s World: The Master’s Etchings, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1982, no. 13

1990

  • Haden, Whistler, Pennell: Three Master Printmakers in the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1990, no. 35, repro

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 74.

2012

  • MacDonald, Margaret, Grischka Petri, Meg Hausberg, and Joanna Meacock. James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, A Catalogue Raisonné. Scotland: University of Glasgow, 2012, no. 79, ix/ix. http://etchings.arts.gla.ac.uk

Inscriptions

center right in plate: Whistler 1861.

Watermarks

ERVEN D. BLAU [partial]

Wikidata ID

Q77012992

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