Limehouse

Object Details

• Artist

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

• Edition/State

  1, 2

• Label

  Lithography was invented in 1798. By the mid-nineteenth century, it was most often used to make illustrated advertisements and other cheap prints. But Whistler was attracted by lithography's ability to produce delicate tones ranging from silvery grays to deep blacks. Here, he used different sizes of brushes, varied the strength of his washes, and scraped and incised the stone to create the dark rich tones of this gloriously moody print.

  Whistler lithographs are identified by "C" numbers as described in The Lithographs of James McNeill Whistler (Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1998). This print is C7, second state of three.

• Provenance

  From at least 1906 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), from at least 1906 [1]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Whistler List, Lithographs, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Also, according to Curatorial Remark 2, G.D.G., 1921, in the object record: "No record existing of the time of purchase, the print was given a registration number for 1906, the year of the printed Inventory."

  [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 and the Thames (December 17, 2000 to June 17, 2001)

  Untitled Exhibition, Whistler Drawings, Etchings, and Lithographs, 1959 (April 15, 1959 to November 2, 1959)

  Centennial Exhibition, East Corridor (February 25, 1956 to July 10, 1958)

  Untitled Exhibition, Whistler Prints (December 12, 1955 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Whistler Etchings, Lithographs, and Drypoint (September 24, 1947 to April 11, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Whistler Prints, East Corridor (January 5, 1944 to January 8, 1947)

  Untitled Exhibition, Whistler Etchings and Lithographs (April 4, 1930 to January 20, 1944)

  Lithographs and Lithotints by Whistler (March 23, 1925 to March 24, 1930)

  Special Exhibition, Whistler Etchings and Lithographs (January 14, 1924 to February 18, 1924)

  American Paintings, Etchings, and Lithographs. J.A.McN. Whistler (May 2, 1923 to January 7, 1924)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  United States

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Print

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1870s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Boats and boating, Art, American Art

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Prints