Artwork
Shaving and Shampooing
Shaving and Shampooing is an ink print by the Impressionist artist James McNeill Whistler. It dates from 1887 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:on plate: SHAVING and SHAMPOOING; (butterfly); on tab: (butterfly) imp; on verso by Whistler, at lower right:1st State. Early proof (the st superscript); possibly by Whistler at lower left: No 1.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1887, Shaving and Shampooing is a print by James McNeill Whistler executed in dark brown ink on laid paper through a combination of etching and drypoint. The work records a modest barbershop scene, presenting a barber at work and a customer in a moment of everyday routine.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a small shop bearing a sign that reads “Shaving & Shampooing,” with three figures inside the premises and a passerby outside crouching to tie a shoe. Whistler’s focus rests on the ordinary activity of grooming, offering a quiet observation of urban life rather than a narrative or moral lesson.
Technique & Style
Whistler employed both acid‑etched lines and hand‑drawn drypoint marks, producing a range of delicate tonal variations. The quick, scratchy strokes of dark brown ink convey texture and clutter within the shop, while the laid‑paper surface enhances the subtle gradations typical of his graphic oeuvre.
History & Provenance
Although primarily known for his oils and watercolors, Whistler produced a series of prints during the late nineteenth‑century American Gilded Age, reflecting his “art for art’s sake” philosophy. Shaving and Shampooing belongs to this period of printmaking experimentation, though specific ownership records are limited.
Context
The work aligns with contemporary trends in Impressionist and Realist art that emphasized candid depictions of daily life. Whistler’s restrained palette and emphasis on atmospheric effect place the print within his broader pursuit of aesthetic refinement over overt storytelling.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834 – July 17, 1903) 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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