From Pickle-Herring Stairs

James McNeill Whistler

1878

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century harbor

About this work

You see a man in a top hat walking down steps near the Thames. Two small boats float close to the shore. The river and sky fill most of the background in soft gray tones. Whistler made this etching in London. He liked simple scenes with quiet moods. The lines feel loose but controlled. You can almost hear the water and footsteps. Look at Whistler’s *Nocturne: Blue and Gold – Old Battersea Bridge* next.