The Beggars

1879/1880

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

This is a drawing of an urban passageway with shadowy figures. The composition includes a cobblestone path leading through a tunnel, framed by dark, textured walls. The path leads to a lighter area in the background with architecture and windows, suggesting buildings. In the foreground, subtle shadowy forms of individuals can be seen. The intricate line work and shading create an atmosphere of transition between light and dark spaces, emphasizing the tunnel's shadowy nature.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Collection of Mr. James Watson Webb [1884-1960] and Mrs. Electra Havemeyer Webb [1888-1960], Los Angeles and Vermont; gift to NGA 1942.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1943

  • Whistler Etchings, NGA, 1943.

1947

  • Etchings by James McNeill Whistler, NGA, 1947.

1951

  • Etchings by Whistler, NGA, 1951.

1959

  • Whistler Etchings, NGA, 1959.

1963

  • American Artists as Print Makers, Westmoreland County Museum of Art, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, 1963, no. 202.

1973

  • Venetian Views: Etchings by Canaletto and Whistler, NGA, 1973.

2022

  • Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, 2022.

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 194, vii/ix.

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. 190, state xii/xvii.

Inscriptions

lower left on the verso: Whistler / 1 (upside down); tab: butterfly imp.

Watermarks

WW countermark

Wikidata ID

Q64958853

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