La Fruitière de la rue de Grenelle

Object Details

• Artist

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

• Description

  Drawing of a street fruit-seller, customer and two dogs.

• Signatures

  Signed with the Butterfly on the drawing and with the Butterfly in pencil on the print.

• Edition/State

  One impression.

• Label

  The rue de Grenelle crosses the rue du Bac two blocks from the Whistlers' home, so this green-grocer's shop was probably within easy walking distance. As in his etching Rue de la Rochefoucault (F1902.136), Whistler is centrally concerned with capturing the play of light against a complex surface, exploring how it illuminates the well-dressed customer in the center foreground, reflects off the large plateglass window to the left, and sets off the shadows of the shop interior.

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

  Whistler in Paris: Lithographs from the Belle Epoque, 1891-1896 (February 21 to August 15, 2004)

• Previous custodian or owner

  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

  1890s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Fruit, Architecture, American Art, Store front, Business

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Prints