The Miser
c. 1861
Medium
drypoint on wove tissue
Dimensions
plate: 11.75 x 15.88 cm (4 5/8 x 6 1/4 in.) sheet: 24.45 x 33.02 cm (9 5/8 x 13 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.8445
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler’s *The Miser* (c. 1861) is a masterful drypoint print that captures the artist’s innovative approach to printmaking during his early career in London. Whistler, an American expatriate renowned for his Aesthetic movement ideals—prioritizing “art for art’s sakeproduced this intimate work on a small plate measuring just 11.75 x 15.88 cm. The title evokes a solitary, miserly figure, rendered with Whistler’s characteristic subtlety and tonal finesse, reflecting his fascination with everyday subjects and Japanese-inspired simplicity. Drypoint, Whistler’s favored technique her...
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...