Lobster Pots - Selsea Bill
1880/81
Medium
Etching with foul biting in black ink on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 11.8 × 20.1 cm (4 11/16 × 7 15/16 in.); Sheet: 12.7 × 20.1 cm (5 × 7 15/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
73478
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler, renowned American-born artist celebrated for his "art for art sake" philosophy and subtle tonal harmonies, created *Lobster Pots - S Bill* around 1880–81. This intimate etching captures a quiet coastal scene at Selsey Bill, a rugged headland in West Sussex England, where lobster pots—traditional wicker traps used by fishermen—dot the shoreline. Whistler's work reflects his fascination with everyday subjects, transforming humble maritime elements into poetic compositions during a period when he was deeply engaged in printmaking, producing over 500 etchings in his career....
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...