1887
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Shaving and Shampooing is a 1887 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a small shop with the sign "Shaving & Shampooing" above the door. Inside, three people stand near a counter—one man is bent over, another stands with his back turned, and a third leans against the wall. Outside, a customer crouches to tie his shoe while a streetlamp and a bucket sit nearby. The whole scene is drawn in quick, scratchy lines with dark brown ink. The artist used a rough, sketchy style to capture everyday life, focusing on small details like the shop’s cluttered shelves. This was a common way to show real moments in Impressionist and Realist art. Look up etching to see how artists like Whistler 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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