James Abbott McNeill Whistler
(American, 1834–1903)
The Traghetto No. 2, from the First Venice Set
Object Details
Artist
James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Date
1880
Medium
Etching and drypoint on Van Gelder paper
Dimensions
9 1/2 × 12 inches (24.1 × 30.5 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of William P. Chapman, Jr., Class of 1895
Object
Number
57.242
Whistler, a man with a notorious temper, has produced some of the most calm, serene, and sketchlike (…)
Whistler, a man with a notorious temper, has produced some of the most calm, serene, and sketchlike prints in the history of printmaking. This scene depicts the courtyard of the Ca’ da Mosto north of the Rialto bridge in Venice. Whistler etches enough lines to fully suggest a form, even if most of the form itself is not represented. He creates a window and the top of a column, but one has no issue “seeing” the invisible building that connects the two. Throughout his printed works, Whistler is always aware what needs to be physically drawn, what can be suggested through arrangement of the original, and what is entirely superfluous.
(“Imprint/ In Print,” curated by Nancy E. Green with assistance from Christian Waibel ’17 and presented at the Johnson Museum August 8 – December 20, 2015)
