1896
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Butcher's Dog is a 1896 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This lithograph depicts a dog standing in front of a butcher's shop, with a few people visible inside. The scene is rendered in black on wove paper, with bold lines and minimal shading. The overall effect is one of simplicity and directness. The dog, the central figure in the composition, is shown in profile, its ears perked up and its tail held high. The people inside the shop are barely visible, but their presence adds a sense of activity and life to the scene. The use of lithography in this piece creates a sense of immediacy and spontaneity, as if the artist has captured a fleeting moment in time. For more on this technique, look up lithography.
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.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
