Children, Portsmouth
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1902.105
Tags
About this artwork
Whistler etchings are identified by "G" numbers as assigned in "James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, a catalogue raisonne," by Margaret F. McDonald, Grischka Petri, Meg Hausberg, and Joanna Meacock (University of Glasgow, 2012), http://etchings.arts.gla.ac.uk. This print is G301 state 1 of 1.
Art Historical Context
Created in 1887, *Children, Portsmouth* captures a fleeting moment of everyday life through the delicate medium of etching. James McNeill Whistler, an American-born artist who spent much of his career in Britain, was celebrated for his masterful printmaking. This work, catalogued as G301 in the comprehensive etching records, exemplifies his ability to suggest atmosphere and movement with economical lines rather than elaborate detail. Whistler often turned to coastal and harbor scenes during his later years, finding inspiration in the quiet activities of children and boats along England’s shor...