Rag Pickers, Quartier Mouffetard, Paris
1858
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1858
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This etching shows two ragged women in a Paris alley, one bent over a pile of scraps. Soft light wraps around their bent backs. Whistler loved these quiet corners of Paris. He etched it in 1858, just after his first trip to the city. The drypoint needle scratches tiny lines that catch shadows. It feels like you’re standing right there. Try looking up Whistler, James McNeill next.
