The Steps, Amsterdam

Object Details

• Artist

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

• Edition/State

  3

• Label

  The geometries of Whistler’s London shop fronts translated smoothly into this cropped image of an old Dutch building seen across a canal. A flight of stairs climbs from the cobblestone street to the doorway of a shop identified by scholars as 148 Lijnbaansgracht. The business of the shop is unclear, but clean laundry flutters in front of some of the windows.

  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 G452 state 4 of 5.

• Provenance

  From prior to 1893 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), probably purchased from the artist prior to 1893 [1]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Whistler List, Etchings, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Also, according to Curatorial Remark 1, G.E. Guest, 1921, in the object record: "Probably purchased from Mr. Whistler.

  A list of ten etchings...appears among a package of papers labelled: Invoices prior to 1893. This etching is one of that number.

  It is given a 1906 registration number because it was included in the inventory of that year."

  [2] 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)

  Whistler's Greatest Etchings: 1889 Amsterdam Set (June 28, 2003 to February 1, 2004)

• Previous custodian or owner

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) (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

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1880s

• Name

  Whistler, James McNeill, Freer, Charles Lang

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Architecture, American Art, Store front, Etching (printing process)

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Prints