Clothes Exchange, No.II
c. 1886/1888
Medium
etching and drypoint on laid paper
Dimensions
overall (trimmed to plate): 22.7 × 15.2 cm (8 15/16 × 6 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.8592
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler, renowned 19th-century artist celebrated for his "art for art's sake philosophy and ties to the Aesthetic movement, *Clothes Exchange, No II* around 1886–1888. This intimate print captures everyday urban life, likely drawing from London's bustling markets orshops where secondhand clothes were traded—a poignant reflection of Victorian society's underbelly amid rapid industrialization. Whistler's keen eye for subtle social scenes elevated such motifs into elegant compositions, blending Realism with his signature tonal harmony. Masterfully executed in etching and drypoint ...
About the Artist
James McNeill Whistler · 1834–1903
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) was an American-born painter and printmaker who became a leading figure in the Aesthetic Movement and pioneer of Tonalism and Japonisme. He revolutionized art by championing "art for art's sake" and treating paintings as visual equivalents of musical compositions, titling works as "arrangements," "harmonies," and "nocturnes" to emphasize formal qualities o...