The Little Lagoon
1879/80
Medium
Etching, with drypoint cancellation, in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 22.5 × 15.1 cm (8 7/8 × 6 in.); Sheet: 22.8 × 15.1 cm (9 × 6 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
109170
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler, renowned 19th-century artist celebrated for his emphasis on tonal harmony and "art for art's sake," created *The Little Lagoon* around 1879–80 during his transformative trip to Venice. Part of his Second Venice Set etchings, this intimate print captures the serene, atmospheric beauty of the city's waterways, evoking a dreamlike tranquility through subtle gradations of light and shadow. Whistler's Aestheticism shines here, prioritizing mood and composition over literal detail, influencing later Impressionists and modern printmakers. Crafted as an etching with drypoint c...
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...