Whistler, James Abbot McNeill, Alderney Street, 1881

James Abbot McNeill Whistler, Etching, Alderney Street, 1881

Place your cursor over the thumbnails below to view the full-size image:

Whistler, Etching, Alderney Street, 1881 (thumbnail 1)

Whistler, Etching, Alderney Street, 1881 (thumbnail 2)

Artist:	Whistler, James Abbot McNeill (1834 - 1903)
Title:	Alderney Street, 1881
Reference:	[M.236; Gr.198; W.196]
Medium:	Original Etching
Image Size:	7 in x 4 in (17.6 cm x 11 cm)
Sheet Size:	10 7/8 in x 7 3/8 in (27.6 cm x 18.7 cm)
Framed Size:	25 in x 21 in (63.5 cm x 53 cm)
Edition:	A State II (of II) impression, engraved in the lower left edge, ‘Gazette des Beaux-Arts’ and at the lower right edge, ‘Imp. Cadart.’
Condition:	This work is in very good condition with no sheet damage and strong plate impression.
Price: Item# 2390	$SOLD!

Historical Description:
This work was created in 1881 as an illustration for the ‘Gazette des Beaux-Arts’. The work was published by the Gazette des Beaux-Arts and printed by Cadart. This work is an example of the second state of the plate indicated by the lettering in the left and right hand corners reading at the left “Gazette des Beaux-Arts” and at right ‘Imp. Cadart’. Whimsical in quality, this work is executed with very delicate lines lending a quality of impermanence to the work. The figures appear to move in front of façade like structures, curiously all the figures progress away from the viewer. Offering a unique view of London, this work was executed shortly after the artist’s return from Venice and can be likened to these Italian images in the delicate use of line and depiction of metropolitan views. All the figures appear heavily clad trudging down the street. It is unclear if the characters are preparing for a days work or returning home, adding a sense of mystery to the image. Catalogue Raisonné & Coa: It is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work). 1) Kennedy, Edward, The Etched Work of Whistler, 1978, listed as fig. 238. About The Framing: This work is framed in an elegant, Italian-style moulding. The ornate detailing of the frame draws attention to the artist’s delicate handling of the plate and subject matter. The framing is completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching gold inner fillet set behind an archival Plexiglas® cover.

Historical Description:

This work was created in 1881 as an illustration for the ‘Gazette des Beaux-Arts’. The work was published by the Gazette des Beaux-Arts and printed by Cadart. This work is an example of the second state of the plate indicated by the lettering in the left and right hand corners reading at the left “Gazette des Beaux-Arts” and at right ‘Imp. Cadart’. Whimsical in quality, this work is executed with very delicate lines lending a quality of impermanence to the work. The figures appear to move in front of façade like structures, curiously all the figures progress away from the viewer. Offering a unique view of London, this work was executed shortly after the artist’s return from Venice and can be likened to these Italian images in the delicate use of line and depiction of metropolitan views. All the figures appear heavily clad trudging down the street. It is unclear if the characters are preparing for a days work or returning home, adding a sense of mystery to the image.

Catalogue Raisonné & Coa:
It is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work).
1) Kennedy, Edward, The Etched Work of Whistler, 1978, listed as fig. 238.

About The Framing:
This work is framed in an elegant, Italian-style moulding. The ornate detailing of the frame draws attention to the artist’s delicate handling of the plate and subject matter. The framing is completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching gold inner fillet set behind an archival Plexiglas® cover.

About Us: Masterworks Fine Art strives to be the best source of fine art for our clients and collectors all over the world. We believe the most direct way to accomplish this is by establishing a lifetime of personal and professional relationships with our clients. More About Us »

Do you own a similar Whistler to sell? We offer free evaluations.

Biography of James Abbot McNeill Whistler

1834 Lowell (Massachusetts) - 1903 London Whistler grew up in New England. In 1843 the family moved to Russia, where he received his first drawing lessons at the St. Petersburg Academy in 1845. On the death of his father in 1849 the family returned to America. In 1851 he became a cadet at the military college at West Point, but decided to follow art as a profession. in 1855 he went to Paris, entering the studio of Gleyre in 1856. Important for his artistic development was his meeting with Fantin-Latour and Courbet; other friends included Manet, Monet and Degas. On his rejection by the Salon in 1859 he left Paris for London. His work during this period showed the Japanese influence. In 1866 he visited Chile. Around 1870 his first "nocturnes" were produced, an exquisite series of Thames etchings, intended to capture the poetic mood of pictorial and musical harmony. This theme was to hold his attention for nearly a decade. From the 1870s he increasingly turned to painting portraits, which formed his major source of income until the 1800s. In 1878 he sued Ruskin for libel. Despite winning a moral victory, Whistler was driven into bankruptcy by the cost of the action. From 1886 to 1888 he was the president of the Society of British Artists. In 1892 the Goupil Grallery in London arranged a successful one-man exhibition of his work. Whistler's aesthetic approach found expression in the subtle effect of delicate colours and tone values. His portraits, landscapes and interiors exercise great charm. His manner of painting owes less to the analytical technique of Impressionism, but rather more to the colour impressionism developed in the 17th century.