1887
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dry-Dock, Southampton is a 1887 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a busy shipyard by the water. Ships are docked on the right, their masts crisscrossing. In the middle, workers and buildings fill the scene, with fences and equipment scattered around. The water looks rough, and the whole drawing is made with quick, scratchy lines. The artist used a technique called drypoint to create this sketch. It’s a way of etching lines into a metal plate, leaving behind a rough texture that holds ink. Next, look up etching to see how it works.
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.
See the richer artist page
