Petite Rue des Bouchers
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1903.213
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 G342 state 1 of 1.
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler created *Petite Rue des Bouchers* in 1887 as part of his later series of European street scenes. An American expatriate based in London, Whistler was renowned for his sensitive approach to printmaking, and this etching—catalogued as G342, state 1 of 1—captures the quiet charm of a narrow Belgian street lined with storefronts. The work reflects his lifelong fascination with urban architecture and everyday scenes rendered through precise, atmospheric detail. As an etching, the print demonstrates Whistler’s mastery of the medium, using fine lines to suggest texture and lig...