1859
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Eagle Wharf is a 1859 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a busy dock with ships tied up along the shore. A man in work clothes sits in the foreground, holding a long pole. Behind him, buildings line the water, and one has a sign reading "Lizac Whiteley & Co. PERIWIG MAKER, SHIP OWNER." The scene is drawn in black lines with no color, giving it a stark, detailed look. The artist focused on everyday life at the port, capturing the mix of small boats and big ships. The lines in the water and on the ships show movement, even though everything is still. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this made prints with acid and needles.
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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