Ponte del Piovan
1880
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1880
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This etching shows a stone bridge over a quiet canal. Two people stand on it. The paper is tan, the lines are soft but sharp. Whistler made this in Venice. He stayed a year, drawing canals and bridges. He used two tools: an etching needle and a drypoint needle to scratch deeper marks. His Venice etchings look simple but feel alive. See one like it at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
