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The image shows a perspective from a shore looking across water towards a cityscape. The skyline of the city features pointed and dome-like structures. The sketch-like style uses sparse lines to create a sense of the city's silhouette with buildings, chimneys, and smokestacks. Boats are faintly visible on the water. The color palette is monochrome with a parchment background and dark pencil strokes.
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The image shows a perspective from a shore looking across water towards a cityscape. The skyline of the city features pointed and dome-like structures. The sketch-like style uses sparse lines to create a sense of the city's silhouette with buildings, chimneys, and smokestacks. Boats are faintly visible on the water. The color palette is monochrome with a parchment background and dark pencil strokes.

National Gallery of Art · Print

Battersea Morn

James McNeill Whistler

Date
1875
Medium
drypoint on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 14.7 × 22.3 cm (5 13/16 × 8 3/4 in.) sheet: 19.3 × 26.9 cm (7 5/8 × 10 9/16 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1943.3.8489
Credit line
Rosenwald Collection
Time span
1851 to 1875
Department
CG-W
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • American
  • Landscape
  • Water
  • Boat
  • City
Provenance

(H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, stock no. a 34603). Henry Harper Benedict [1844-1935], New York, (Lugt 1298). Lessing Julius Rosenwald [1891-1971], Philadelphia, (Lugt 1760b); gift to National Gallery of Art, 1943.  

Inscription

[Whistler's butterfly signature] upper right composition, in plate, artist's hand. "[Whistler's butterfly signature] imp." lower left margin, graphite, artist's hand. Not dated. "Battersea Dawn" lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "k.155I" lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "Very rare" lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand. "c.652)" lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand. "1" lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand. "c34603 / asx-" verso, lower left sheet, graphite, unknown hand. "w.125" verso, lower left sheet, graphite, unknown hand. "1er" verso, lower left sheet, graphite, unknown hand.

Marks

"LRJ" verso, black stamped ink. "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink. "HB" (Henry H. Benedict collector's stamp) verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1298).

Watermarks

[Arms of Amsterdam]

NGA object ID 10986. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.