The Etchings of Whistler and His Circle

June 10 — October 15, 2017

Portland Art Museum, Oregon The Etchings of Whistler and His Circle

James McNeill Whistler ranks as one of the foremost masters of of the north bank from East London Lime Wharf in the east, to etching. Much influenced by the prints of Rembrandt van Rijn, Saint Katharine Docks and the Tower of London in the west. He whom he considered “the high priest of art,” Whistler brought to was fascinated by the ramshackle buildings that lined the wharfs, the medium a unique artistic sensibility and a highly refined the commercial activity on the river, and the lives of the working- technical skill. His etchings range from simple plein air sketches class men who populated the area. Beginning in 1859, he created done in one sitting to elaborate compositions that underwent a stunning series of etchings, which were published as “A Series multiple states (changes to the printing plate) before completion. of Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames” in 1871. The prints A tireless experimenter, Whistler exploited various papers, inks, and ways of wiping his plates to create the luminous effects he sought. As a London-based American artist who exhibited internationally, Whistler exerted far-reaching influence as an etcher. Artists of divergent backgrounds looked to him for inspiration, and he is credited with helping to ignite an etching revival in Europe and the United States. Drawn from the holdings of the Portland Art Museum and local collections, this exhibition presents etchings by Whistler and artists who were influenced by his lyrical, atmospheric style and delicate tonal harmonies. The exhibition is organized to reflect three main themes that emerge in Whistler’s oeuvre and those of the artists he inspired: the Thames; Whistler’s Venice; and City and Country.

Whistler was born in 1834 in Lowell, Massachusetts, but spent the majority of his life in Europe, gaining renown as a painter, dandy, writer, critic, and an etcher of unsurpassed talent. In his early teenage years he lived in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where his father worked as a railway engineer, and in London, where he resided for a time with his half-sister Deborah and her husband, Seymour Haden, an etcher, surgeon, and print collector. Whistler’s London sojourn sparked his love for etching as well as for the city itself: it became his adopted home as an adult and the subject of his some of his earliest mature etchings. Rather than depicting the fashionable life of the great capital, he instead turned his attention to the Thames River, focusing on the curve 40 James McNeill Whistler, C. L. Drouet, Sculptor, 1859 and to experiment with different means of depicting the weather. Even when these printmakers ventured into the city, they The Etchings of Whistler frequently chose atmospheric views, as Whistler did with his depictions of the wharves and bridges over the Thames. Figures, when included, are often country folk or workers rather than the more affluent denizens. They typically play a secondary role in and His Circle the composition, blending almost completely into their surroundings. The absence of figures also underscores the timelessness and romantic isolation of country sites or deserted city streets. Whether depicting London, Venice, or the countryside, the etchings featured in this exhibition demonstrate the wide range of graphic expression inspired by Whistler. So great was his 39 James McNeill Whistler, Black Lion Wharf, 1859 influence that the adjective “Whistlerian” was coined to describe etchings that are freely and delicately drawn and sensitively inked were exhibited widely, greatly extending Whistler’s influence in and printed to create atmospheric and luminous impressions. Europe and the United States. The Etchings of Whistler and His Circle celebrates the far- The next section of the exhibition examines Whistler’s views of reaching impact of Whistler’s graphic oeuvre and the rich Venice. He arrived in the watery city in the autumn of 1879 with holdings of the Portland Art Museum. the intention of staying for three months to compose twelve etchings, but ultimately remained until November 1880, Organized by the Portland Art Museum and curated by Mary Weaver Chapin, completing a significant group of both etchings and pastels. Just Ph.D., Curator of Prints and Drawings. This exhibition is supported in part by as Whistler had sought out the less fashionable areas of London the Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Endowment for Graphic Arts and the Exhibition for his “Thames Set,” he broke from the tradition of producing Series Sponsors. famous views of the monuments of Venice. He favored the hidden neighborhoods, canals, and passageways to reveal what he called the “Venice of the Venetians.” When he did depict the key sights of the city, he drew directly on his copper plate; when printed, the image was reversed, creating an unexpected perspective on a familiar scene. Other artists in Venice at the time—including Frank Duveneck and Otto Henry Bacher— quickly fell under Whistler’s sway, adopting his methods and compositional motifs. When Whistler returned to London and began exhibiting his Venetian prints, an even wider circle of artists came under the thrall of his delicately etched lines, atmospheric light, and hidden locales, as seen notably in the work of fellow American Joseph Pennell. Even after his death, Whistler’s vision of the city captivated a new generation of artists, including John Marin, Ernest David Roth, and James McBey. The final section of the exhibition broadens the focus from London and Venice to consider views of the countryside and of other cities. Artists in Whistler’s orbit favored freely drawn images made directly from nature: bucolic landscapes, scenes of rural life, remote settings. The portability of the technique allowed them to sketch directly on the prepared copper plate 21 Joseph Pennell, The Doorway, Venice, 1884 8. Seymour Haden Works in the Exhibition (British, 1818–1910) 1. Otto Henry Bacher Evening, 1864 (American, 1856–1909) Etching with drypoint on cream Japan Palazzo Casa d’Oro, 1880 paper 15 3 Etching on cream wove paper Plate: 5 /16 x 3 /4 inches 3 1 3 3 Plate: 8 /8 x 6 /2 inches Sheet: 7 /16 x 4 /4 inches 3 5 Sheet: 11 /4 x 8 /8 inches Gift of Mr. William Hund Bequest of Winslow B. Ayer 1999.68.1 35.99 9. Seymour Haden 2. David Muirhead Bone (British, 1818–1910) (British, 1876–1953) Kew Side, A Fragment, 1864 Calle Pescheria, Venice, 1914 Etching on cream laid paper 15 3 Drypoint on cream Japan paper Plate: 5 /16 x 5 /4 inches 15 5 Plate: 7 x 10 inches Sheet: 7 /16 x 6 /8 inches 1 3 Sheet: 11 /8 x 15 /4 inches Gift of Dr. Thomas H. Coleman Gift of Ruth and Jacob Kainen 87.35.1 87.76.22 10. Seymour Haden 3. David Young Cameron (British, 1818–1910) (Scottish, 1865–1945) The Towing Path, 1864 Amboise, 1903 Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper 9 1 54 James McNeill Whistler, The Traghetto #2, 1880 Etching on laid cream paper Plate: 5 /16 x 8 /2 inches Plate: 10 3/ x 6 inches Sheet: 7 7/ x 10 3/ inches 8 8 8 15. James McBey 20. Joseph Pennell Sheet: 11 1/ x 7 inches Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest F. Tucker 2 (Scottish, 1883–1959) (American, 1857–1926) The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic 66.28 Glassblowers, Murano, 1925 Ponte Vecchio, Florence, 1883 Arts Collection 11. Seymour Haden Drypoint on cream wove paper Etching on cream wove paper 79.50.366 5 13 (British, 1818–1910) Plate: 5 x 6 inches Plate: 9 /8 x 7 /16 inches 1 1 1 3 4. David Young Cameron Sunset on the Thames, 1865 Sheet: 8 /8 x 9 /8 inches Sheet: 13 /2 x 10 /8 inches (Scottish, 1865–1945) Etching and drypoint The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic 3 7 Arts Collection Arts Collection The Thermae of Caracalla, 1923 Plate: 5 /8 x 8 /16 inches 1 79.50.352 79.50.504 Etching and drypoint on laid paper Sheet: 7 /8 x 10 inches Plate: 10 7/ x 16 3/ inches Gift of Ella M. Hirsch 8 4 16. James McBey 21. Joseph Pennell Sheet: 12 1/ x 17 7/ inches 37.43 8 8 (Scottish, 1883–1959) (American, 1857–1926) The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic 12. Bertha E. Jaques Rio dei Greci, Venice, 1925 The Doorway, Venice, 1884 Arts Collection (American, 1863–1941) Etching and drypoint on cream wove Etching on cream wove paper 80.122.530 11 15 The Three Fishers—Venice, 1912 paper Plate: 6 /16 x 6 /16 inches 1 11 5 5 5. Frank Duveneck Etching and drypoint on beige wove Plate: 10 /2 x 6 /16 inches Sheet: 10 /8 x 9 /8 inches 3 1 (American, 1848–1919) paper Sheet: 12 /4 x 8 /8 inches Bequest of Mrs. John Cran View of the Grand Canal (Riva del Plate: 7 x 4 inches Gift of Peter West 42.12 Carbone, Venice), 1883 Sheet: 10 3/ x 7 3/ inches 2015.203.1 4 4 22. Joseph Pennell Etching on cream wove paper Gift of Rod and Vicki Wegener 17. James McBey (American, 1857–1926) Image: 10 3/ x 15 1/ inches 2005.107.4 8 4 (Scottish, 1883–1959) 74 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea (House Where Plate: 10 7/ x 15 13/ inches 8 16 13. John Marin The Doorway, 1928 Whistler Died), 1903 Sheet: 13 1/ x 18 1/ inches 4 8 (American, 1870–1953) Etching on beige wove paper Etching on cream laid paper Bequest of Miss Ella de Hart 3 7 5 1 Ca d’Oro, Venice, 1907 Plate: 8 /16 x 6 /16 inches Plate: 8 /8 x 11 /16 inches 52.141 3 5 1 1 Etching on cream wove paper Sheet: 11 /4 x 8 /8 inches Sheet: 9 /8 x 11 /8 inches 3 The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic Gift of Michael Parsons and Marte Lamb 6. Seymour Haden Plate: 7 x 9 /8 inches 7 7 Arts Collection 2009.95.9 (British, 1818–1910) Sheet: 8 /8 x 11 /8 inches Battersea Reach, 1863 Gift of Heirs of Charles Francis Adams 80.122.231 23. Joseph Pennell Etching with drypoint on cream laid paper Collection: Peter F. Adams, Mrs. Sandra 18. James McBey (American, 1857–1926) Plate: 5 5/ x 8 7/ inches Adams Beebe, and Charles Anthony 16 8 (Scottish, 1883–1959) Pavement of St. Paul’s (London), 1905 Sheet: 7 5/ x 11 1/ inches Adams 16 8 Marrakesh, 1938 Etching on cream wove paper Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Minthorn 89.20.78 1 Etching on cream wove paper Plate: 8 /2 x 11 inches 94.108.2 1 5 14. James McBey Plate: 11 x 9 /8 inches Sheet: 13 x 15 /8 inches 3 7. Seymour Haden (Scottish, 1883–1959) Sheet: 14 /8 x 12 inches The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic (British, 1818–1910) Beggars, Tetuan (No. 2), 1912 Gift of Peter West Arts Collection Whistler’s House, Old Chelsea, 1863 Etching on cream laid paper 2015.203.2 79.50.505 Etching on cream laid paper Plate: 6 5/ x 5 1/ inches 8 2 19. Joseph Pennell 24. Joseph Pennell Plate: 6 7/ x 13 inches Sheet: 7 3/ x 6 1/ inches 8 4 4 (American, 1857–1926) (American, 1857–1926) Sheet: 8 x 13 5/ inches The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic 8 Near the Abazzia, Venice, 1883 St. Paul’s, New York, 1915 Gift of Mr. Henry Failing Cabell Arts Collection Etching on cream laid paper Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper 49.14 2016.115.171 15 3 1 Plate: 6 /16 x 9 /4 inches Plate: 11 x 8 /2 inches 1 1 1 1 Sheet: 9 /8 x 13 /8 inches Sheet: 12 /4 x 9 /16 inches Museum Purchase: Print Acquisition Gift of Ruth and Jacob Kainen Fund 87.76.17 2017.28.1 29. Frank Short 36. James McNeill Whistler (British, 1857–1945) (American, active England and France, A Wintry Blast on the Stourbridge Canal, 1834–1903) 1890 The Wine Glass, 1858 Drypoint on light blue laid paper Etching on cream laid paper 7 1 3 Plate: 6 /8 x 10 inches Plate: 3 /4 x 2 /16 inches 7 7 1 Sheet: 8 /8 x 12 /8 inches Sheet: 6 x 4 /2 inches Gift of Ella M. Hirsch Gift of Ada A. Chipman 37.42 86.1.2 30. Frank Short 37. James McNeill Whistler (British, 1857–1945) (American, active England and France, An April Day in Kent, 1903 1834–1903) Etching on cream laid paper Bibi Valentin, 1859 7 13 Plate: 7 /8 x 11 /16 inches Etching and drypoint on cream laid Japan 3 13 Sheet: 12 /8 x 16 /16 inches paper Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest F. Tucker Plate: 6 x 9 inches 3 1 66.39 Sheet: 7 /4 x 11 /8 inches Gift of Henry Failing Cabell 31. Frank Short 49.10 (British, 1857–1945) The Street, Whitsable, 1910 38. James McNeill Whistler Etching on cream wove paper (American, active England and France, 1 3 Plate: 9 /4 x 13 /8 inches 1834–1903) 5 5 Sheet: 10 /8 x 15 /8 inches Billingsgate, 1859 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest F. Tucker Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper 15 66.36 Plate: 6 x 8 /16 inches Sheet: 8 1/ x 10 7/ inches 32. John C. Vondrous 4 8 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. (American, born Bohemia, 1884–1970) Shrewsbury Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, 1912 82.84.10 Etching on cream laid paper 11 7 Plate: 11 /16 x 6 /16 inches 39. James McNeill Whistler 3 1 Sheet: 15 /8 x 9 /2 inches (American, active England and France, Gift of Heirs of Charles Francis Adams 1834–1903) Collection: Peter F. Adams, Mrs. Sandra Black Lion Wharf, 1859 Adams Beebe, and Charles Anthony Etching on cream Japan paper 15 7 Adams Plate: 5 /16 x 8 /8 inches 7 5 89.20.40 Sheet: 7 /8 x 10 /8 inches Bequest of Winslow B. Ayer 33. James McNeill Whistler 35.94 (American, active England and France, 1834–1903) 40. James McNeill Whistler En plein soleil (In Full Sunlight), 1858 (American, active England and France, Etching on cream wove paper 1834–1903) 3 Plate: 4 in x 5 /8 inches C. L. Drouet, Sculptor, 1859 Private Collection, Portland Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper Plate: 8 15/ x 6 inches 34. James McNeill Whistler 16 Sheet: 111/ x 8 inches 32 John C. Vondrous, Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, 1912 (American, active England and France, 4 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Minthorn 1834–1903) 94.108.1 The Rag Pickers, Quartier Mouffetard, 25. Joseph Pennell 27. Ernest David Roth Paris, 1858 41. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1857–1926) (American, 1879–1964) Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper (American, active England and France, The Bridges from Brooklyn, 1921 Burgos, Spain, 1921 Plate: 6 x 3 9/ inches 1834–1903) Etching on cream laid paper 16 Etching on cream wove paper Sheet: 9 5/ x 6 1/ inches Eagle Wharf, 1859 Plate: 10 7/ x 6 7/ inches Plate: 10 13/ x 9 7/ inches 16 16 8 8 16 8 Gift of Bob Rau Etching on cream laid paper Sheet: 11 11/ x 7 5/ inches Sheet: 14 1/ x 12 5/ inches 16 8 8 16 92.195.2 Plate: 5 3/ x 8 7/ inches The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic 8 16 The Charles Henry Leavitt Collection Sheet: 12 1/ x 17 3/ inches Arts Collection 35. James McNeill Whistler 8 4 92.220.70 Private Collection 81.81.158 (American, active England and France, 28. Ernest David Roth 1834–1903) 42. James McNeill Whistler 26. Ernest David Roth (American, 1879–1964) The Unsafe Tenement, 1858 (American, active England and France, (American, 1879–1964) Coenties Slip, New York, 1935 Etching on cream laid paper 1834–1903) Campo Margherita, Venice, 1913 Etching on cream laid paper Plate: 6 1/ x 8 15/ inches J. Becquet, Sculptor, 1859 Etching on cream laid paper Plate: 12 7/ x 10 1/ inches 4 16 8 16 Sheet: 9 1/ x 12 7/ inches Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper Plate: 7 7/ x 10 7/ inches Sheet: 15 15/ x 12 7/ inches 4 8 8 8 16 8 The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic Plate: 9 x 7 1/ inches Sheet: 9 13/ in x 12 5/ inches 2 16 16 The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic Arts Collection Sheet: 9 1/ x 8 inches Gift of Heirs of Charles Francis Adams 4 Arts Collection 80.122.318 Gift of Marge Riley in memory of Vivian Collection: Peter F. Adams, Mrs. Sandra 82.80.89 and Gordon Gilkey Adams Beebe, and Charles Anthony Adams 2005.18.2 89.20.122 15 15 43. James McNeill Whistler Plate: 9 /16 x 6 /16 inches 1 (American, active England and France, Sheet: 11 /4 x 8 inches 18341903) Bequest of Winslow B. Ayer Longshoremen, 1859 35.95 Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper 47. James McNeill Whistler Plate: 6 x 8 9/ inches 16 (American, active England and Sheet: 7 3/ x 11 15/ inches 4 16 France, 1834–1903) Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Shrewsbury Venus, 1859 82.84.11 Etching and drypoint on cream laid 44. James McNeill Whistler Japan paper 15 (American, active England and France, Plate: 6 x 8 /16 inches 3 15 1834–1903) Sheet: 8 /16 x 11 /16 inches Old Westminster Bridge, 1859 Private Collection, Portland Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper 48. James McNeill Whistler Plate: 3 x 7 3/ inches 16 (American, active England and Sheet: 4 3/ x 9 1/ inches 4 4 France, 1834–1903) Gift of Henry Failing Cabell Old Hungerford Bridge, 1861 49.11 Etching and drypoint on cream laid 45. James McNeill Whistler paper 10 Seymour Haden, The Towing Path, 1864 7 3 (American, active England and France, Plate: 5 /16 x 8 /8 inches 5 1 1834–1903) Sheet: 6 /8 x 9 /8 inches Soupe à trois sous (Three Penny Soup), Gift of Ella M. Hirsch 50. James McNeill Whistler 54. James McNeill Whistler 1859 37.41 (American, active England and France, (American, active England and France, Etching on cream laid paper 1834–1903) 1834–1903) 49. James McNeill Whistler Plate: 6 x 9 inches The “Adam and Eve,” Old Chelsea, 1878 The Traghetto #2, 1880 (American, active England and France, Sheet: 7 x 9 7/ inches Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper 8 1834–1903) Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest F. Tucker Plate: 6 7/ x 11 7/ inches Sheet (trimmed to platemark): The Forge, 1861 8 8 66.23 Sheet: 9 13/ x 13 7/ inches 9 1/ x 12 1/ inches Drypoint on cream laid paper 16 8 2 8 5 9 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest F. Tucker Bequest of Winslow B. Ayer 46. James McNeill Whistler Plate: 7 /8 x 12 /16 inches 5 7 66.22 35.96 (American, active England and France, Sheet: 9 /16 x 14 /8 inches 1834–1903) Gift of Bob Rau 51. James McNeill Whistler 55. James McNeill Whistler The Lime-Burner, 1859 92.106.7 (American, active England and France, (American, active England and France, Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper 1834–1903) 1834–1903) Little Putney Bridge, 1879 The Menpes Children, 1887 Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper Etching on cream laid paper 1 1 11 Plate: 5 /4 x 7 /8 inches Plate: 2 /16 x 4 inches 1 1 1 3 Sheet: 7 /16 x 12 /8 inches Sheet: 3 /8 x 4 /8 inches Gift of Kate S. Brown Gift of Mr. Thomas Hardy 56.4 81.124.2 52. James McNeill Whistler (American, active England and France, 1834–1903) Cover: 46 James McNeill Whistler, The Riva, 1879/1880 The Lime-Burner, 1859 Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper Sheet (trimmed to platemark): 15 5 7 /16 x 11 /8 inches Multnomah County Library, John Wilson Special Collections 53. James McNeill Whistler (American, active England and France, 1834–1903) Upright Venice, 1879/1880 Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper 15 Plate: 10 x 6 /16 inches 1 15 Sheet: 10 /4 x 6 /16 inches Museum Purchase: Funds provided by Friends of the Gilkey Center and the Elly Guerin Jackson Memorial Fund 2009.85

Portland Art Museum, Oregon 17 James McBey, The Doorway, 1928