The image shows boats and ships docked at a harbor. The viewpoint is from the water's edge, angled to display the masts and sails of the boats vertically. The horizon is not visible, with ships and buildings extending across the middle to upper third of the image. Delicate and precise brushstrokes capture the details of the ships. The palette is monochromatic, with shades of black and gray against a light cream background. Skiffs and rowboats are closest to us, sketched in thin lines, with larger sailing vessels and city structures in the distance. The style resembles a classic etching technique, creating a detailed maritime view with fine lines.
Read the visual description

The image shows boats and ships docked at a harbor. The viewpoint is from the water's edge, angled to display the masts and sails of the boats vertically. The horizon is not visible, with ships and buildings extending across the middle to upper third of the image. Delicate and precise brushstrokes capture the details of the ships. The palette is monochromatic, with shades of black and gray against a light cream background. Skiffs and rowboats are closest to us, sketched in thin lines, with larger sailing vessels and city structures in the distance. The style resembles a classic etching technique, creating a detailed maritime view with fine lines.

National Gallery of Art · Print

A Sketch from Billingsgate

James McNeill Whistler

Date
1878
Medium
drypoint on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 14.61 x 22.54 cm (5 3/4 x 8 7/8 in.) sheet: 20.96 x 33.02 cm (8 1/4 x 13 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1943.3.8504
Credit line
Rosenwald Collection
Time span
1876 to 1900
Department
CG-W

Subjects and terms

  • American
  • Water
  • Boat
  • City
  • Sky
  • Building
Provenance

Royal Collection, Windsor, (Lugt 2535); sold to Thomas Agnew & Sons, London, 1906; (H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, stock no. 41644, valued at £27, stock no. changed to a41996); sold 1906 to unidentified collector for $500. Probably in the 1920s with Kennedy & Co., New York. Lessing Julius Rosenwald [1891-1971], Philadelphia, (Lugt 1760b); gift to NGA, 1943.

Inscription

lower right on recto: W130 / 4; lower left on verso: SXX-

Watermarks

IV countermark

NGA object ID 11001. 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.