Atelier de Bijouterie

Object Details

• Artist

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

• Label

  While most of Whistler’s shop fronts feature humble enterprises such as greengrocers and fishmongers, a sign centering this composition reads “Atelier de Bijouterie,” indicating jewelry for sale. Groups of people crowd the edges of the scene, bracketing a lone little boy standing in the middle of the empty sidewalk, his back to the viewer. His posture makes it difficult to determine whether he is staring into the heavily barred central window of the jewelry shop or looking at the women in the doorway at right. Only three impressions are recorded, and the city depicted remains undetermined.

  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 G378 state 1 of 1.

• Provenance

  From 1906 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Company of the Butterfly, London, in 1906 [1]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Whistler List, Etchings, pg. 96, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Society of the Butterfly [Company of the Butterfly] was James McNeill Whistler's London business through which he sold his works.

  [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)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Company of the Butterfly (1897-1903) (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

  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

  Company of the Butterfly, Freer, Charles Lang

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Architecture, American Art, Store front, Cities and towns, Etching (printing process), Business

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Prints