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Nursemaid and Child

James McNeill Whistler

1859

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century Landscape

Dominant colour

Nursemaid and Child is a 1859 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: James McNeill Whistler
When & what style?: 1859 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a woman sitting in a field with a child. She’s wrapped in a shawl, holding the child close. Behind them, trees and hills stretch out, drawn with quick, scratchy lines. The whole scene feels rough and hurried, like it was made fast. The artist used a tool to carve into metal, then inked it to create this print. That’s called etching. The lines are all over the place, but they still show the shapes clearly. Next, look up etching to see how artists make prints like this.