J. Becquet, Sculptor
Medium
Etching and drypoint with foul biting in black ink on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 25.5 × 19.1 cm (10 1/16 × 7 9/16 in.); Sheet: 28 × 21.6 cm (11 1/16 × 8 9/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
73651
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler’s *J. Becquet,or* (1859) captures the intensity of French artist Jacques Becquet at work in his studio, rendered with Whistler’s signature subtlety. Created during Whistler’s formative years in Paris, this etching belongs to his acclaimed “French Set,” a series portraits celebrating the everyday lives of artisans and colleagues. Whistler, an American expatriate who later championed Aestheticism in London, drew inspiration from French Realists like Courbet, blending sharp observation with atmospheric elegance. The print masterfully employs etching and drypoint techniques...
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...