
Read the visual description
The image shows a street scene with various buildings and urban activities. The viewpoint is slightly elevated, and many buildings and people are visible. The horizon is obscured by tall buildings in the background. The style is loose and sketchy, with fine lines indicating figures, buildings, and movement. The color palette is monochromatic, using sepia or pencil gray tones on an off-white background. Near the viewer, a person and a horse-drawn carriage are depicted. Further away, more figures and another carriage are shown, adding to the urban scene. The distant buildings are outlined with simple linear details.
National Gallery of Art · Print
Alderney Street
James McNeill Whistler
- Date
- c. 1880/1881
- Medium
- etching on laid paper
- Dimensions
- overall (trimmed to plate): 17.9 × 11.1 cm (7 1/16 × 4 3/8 in.)
- Classification
- Accession number
- 1949.5.263
- Credit line
- Rosenwald Collection
- Time span
- 1876 to 1900
- Department
- CG-W
Subjects and terms
- American
- Street
- Cityscape
- City
- animal
- Building
Provenance
Howard Mansfield (Lugt 1342), New York; Harris G. Whittemore, CT, acquired 1919; Lessing J. Rosenwald, Philadelphia; gift to NGA, 1949.
Inscription
on plate: (butterfly); on tab: (butterfly) imp; lower right on the verso: st (the st superscript) and 28
Watermarks
none
NGA object ID 36717. 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.