Artwork
Cutler Street, Hounsditch
Cutler Street, Hounsditch is an ink print by the Impressionist artist James McNeill Whistler. It dates from 1887 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:on plate: (butterfly); B. ABRAHAMS.; on tab: (butterfly) imp; lower left on the verso by Whistler: Cutler Street - Houndsditch - (underlined with a short, oblique line)
About this work
Overview
Cutler Street, Hounsditch is an etching created by James Abbott McNeill Whistler in 1887, depicting a London street scene in dark brown ink on laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The etching captures a quiet London street with brick buildings and a few figures, conveying a mood through the interplay of light and shadow. Whistler's focus is on the atmospheric effect rather than narrative detail.
Technique & Style
Whistler's lines are characterized by a loose yet precise quality, and the texture of the laid paper adds depth to the scene. The etching reflects Whistler's restrained aesthetic approach, emphasizing tonal harmony over narrative sentiment.
Context
Whistler often worked at night or in early morning to capture soft, gray light, a condition that likely influenced the dimly lit atmosphere of this etching. The work is part of Whistler's broader practice in printmaking, which also included etchings of the Thames.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834 – July 17, 1903) was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom.
Arrangement in Black, No. 3: Sir Henry Irving as Philip II of Spain
Arrangement in Flesh Colour and Black: Portrait of Theodore Duret
Gold and Brown: Self-Portrait
Edward Guthrie Kennedy
Harmony in Yellow and Gold: The Gold Girl—Connie Gilchrist
George W. Vanderbilt
Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl
Henry Irving as Philip II of Spain
