Boulevard Poissonière, Paris

Object Details

• Artist

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

• Label

  Whistler etched this relaxed view of Parisians in late spring or early summer. His urban subjects are enjoying what he called “perfect weather in this most lovely city.” The empty foreground leads the eye to five men dozing on a double bench. Beyond them, a row of shops edges a boulevard bordered with leafy trees. In this late, rare example—only three impressions are recorded—Whistler explores the decorative repetition of awnings and windows to create a pleasing pattern across the composition.

  Whistler etchings are identified by "G" numbers as assigned in "James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, a catalogue raisonn&‌eacute;," by Margaret F. McDonald, Grischka Petri, Meg Hausberg, and Joanna Meacock (University of Glasgow, 2012), http://etchings.arts.gla.ac.uk. This print is G483 state 1 of 1.

• Provenance

  To 1905

  Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851-1938), New York, to 1905 [1]

  From 1905 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Thomas Wilmer Dewing in 1905 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Whistler List, Etchings, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Whistler: Streetscapes, Urban Change (November 18, 2023 to May 4, 2024)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851-1938) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  United States

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Print

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1900s, 1880s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Dewing, Thomas Wilmer

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Trees, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, American Art, Store front, Parks, Streets, Etching (printing process)

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Prints