1858
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Twelve Etchings from Nature: The Unsafe Tenement is a 1858 by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This black-and-white sketch shows a crumbling wooden building with uneven walls and a sagging roof. The structure leans slightly, with exposed beams and a small window on the upper floor. A person stands in the doorway, looking out, while a ladder leans against the side. The ground is messy, with debris scattered around. The artist focused on rough textures—wood grain, peeling walls, and tangled vines—to show decay. This was part of a series called *Twelve Etchings from Nature*, which aimed to capture real, gritty scenes. Next, check out James McNeill Whistler for more of his early sketches.
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom.
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