1889
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Square House, Amsterdam is a 1889 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a tall, narrow house packed with windows. The windows are arranged in neat rows, some open, some closed, with curtains or blinds inside. The walls look rough, and the whole scene is drawn in dark, scratchy lines against a light background. Notice how the artist used tiny, precise marks to create shadows and texture—this isn’t just a drawing, it’s a print made by etching. The lines look almost like scratches, which is how the artist built up the details. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this make prints with needles and acid.
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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