Read the visual description
The image shows a bustling port scene with various sailboats docked, people on the quay and boats, and urban structures in the background. The detailed etching technique creates a monochromatic image using shades of sepia. The scene is framed with tall ship masts at the horizon. The composition includes a range of activities and structures, depicted with varying line density for contrast.
National Gallery of Art · Print
Billingsgate
James McNeill Whistler
- Date
- 1859
- Medium
- etching and drypoint in black on laid paper
- Dimensions
- plate: 15.24 × 22.54 cm (6 × 8 7/8 in.) sheet: 20 × 26.99 cm (7 7/8 × 10 5/8 in.)
- Classification
- Accession number
- 2015.19.406
- Credit line
- Corcoran Collection (Bequest of Julius Garfinckel, 1938)
- Time span
- 1851 to 1875
- Department
- CG-W
Subjects and terms
- American
- etching
- drypoint
- Cityscape
- Bridge
- Boats
- Water
- Ships
- River
- Clock
- Men
- Buildings
- cityscape
Provenance
Julius Garfinckel, Washington, DC; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1938; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art
Inscription
lower center in plate: Whistler. 1859.; lower center edge in graphite by unknown hand: 11139; lower left verso in graphite by unknown hand: B19213; lower right verso in graphite by unknown hand: YH
Watermarks
D [coat of arms] M
NGA object ID 183418. 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.