WHISTLER & COMPANY

THE ETCHING REVIVAL

Whistler & Co. includes more than sixty etchings by James Abbott McNeill Whistler and ten of his contemporaries from Britain, France, and America. Whistler’s gritty images of the River Thames and views of Venice and Paris revived, in part, the art of etching in the 19th century.

Closing April 11, 2021
Learn about Opening Day + Winter Programs Here


ABOUT WHISTLER AND THE ETCHING REVIVAL:

The etching revival emerged in France and England around the middle of the nineteenth century. Proponents of the movement advocated for the medium as an independent mode of expression for the artist, as opposed to its use merely as a means of replicating paintings. Rembrandt and the etchers of the Dutch golden age inspired this group of artists who were active in France, England, and the United States. The spontaneity of etching—a process during which the artist sketches with a needle directly on the copper plate—paved the way for unique lyrical and poetic artistic expressions.

Among the earliest proponents of etching in the 1840s and 50s were members of the Barbizon School such as Charles-François Daubigny, Charles Emil Jacques, and Charles Meryon. Groups of artists in Paris and London formed societies and artists’ organizations which were dedicated to the promotion of etchings. These societies published and marketed works by members to the general public.

James McNeill Whistler played a key role in the movement, having worked in both Paris and London, influencing a large number of artists, including a cadre of young Americans, especially during his time in Venice. Whistler created nearly 500 etchings over the course of his more than five decades-long career. The artist influenced tastes, earning both critical praise and commercial success with his etchings.

Gallery Guide

 

WHISTLER & CO. IS SUPPORTED BY:
IFPDA
Weinstein Properties

 



Whistler & Company: The Etching Revival
is organized by the Reading Public Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania.

Image Credit: Jules Bastien-Lepage (French, 1848 – 1884), Retour des Champs (Return from the Fields), 1878, etching, Museum Purchase. Reading Public Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania.

Whistler & Co. includes more than sixty etchings by James Abbott McNeill Whistler and ten of his contemporaries from Britain, France, and America. Whistler’s gritty images of the River Thames and views of Venice and Paris revived, in part, the art of etching in the 19th century.

Opening January 16, 2021
Learn about Opening Day + Winter Programs Here


ABOUT WHISTLER AND THE ETCHING REVIVAL:

The etching revival emerged in France and England around the middle of the nineteenth century. Proponents of the movement advocated for the medium as an independent mode of expression for the artist, as opposed to its use merely as a means of replicating paintings. Rembrandt and the etchers of the Dutch golden age inspired this group of artists who were active in France, England, and the United States. The spontaneity of etching—a process during which the artist sketches with a needle directly on the copper plate—paved the way for unique lyrical and poetic artistic expressions.

Among the earliest proponents of etching in the 1840s and 50s were members of the Barbizon School such as Charles-François Daubigny, Charles Emil Jacques, and Charles Meryon. Groups of artists in Paris and London formed societies and artists’ organizations which were dedicated to the promotion of etchings. These societies published and marketed works by members to the general public.

James McNeill Whistler played a key role in the movement, having worked in both Paris and London, influencing a large number of artists, including a cadre of young Americans, especially during his time in Venice. Whistler created nearly 500 etchings over the course of his more than five decades-long career. The artist influenced tastes, earning both critical praise and commercial success with his etchings.

Gallery Guide

 

WHISTLER & CO. IS SUPPORTED BY:
IFPDA
Weinstein Properties

 



Whistler & Company: The Etching Revival
is organized by the Reading Public Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania.

Image Credit: Jules Bastien-Lepage (French, 1848 – 1884), Retour des Champs (Return from the Fields), 1878, etching, Museum Purchase. Reading Public Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania.