1888
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Courtyard, Rue P.L. Courier is a 1888 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a narrow courtyard with two tall buildings on either side. The walls are rough, and the doors look old and slightly uneven. Light streams in from the top, casting shadows on the ground. There’s a small table or bench in the middle, and the lines are scratchy, like they were drawn quickly. The artist used a technique called drypoint to make the lines—it’s a way of etching that leaves a rough, textured mark. This sketch is part of a series Whistler made of Parisian streets. Next, check out etching to see how artists create these detailed prints.
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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