Artwork
Isle de la Cite, Paris
Isle de la Cite, Paris is an ink print by the Impressionist artist James McNeill Whistler. It dates from 1859 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Isle de la Cite, Paris is a print created by James McNeill Whistler in 1859, utilizing etching and drypoint techniques on wove paper in black. The work captures a serene scene of the Île de la Cité in Paris.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a tranquil stretch of the Seine, featuring old stone buildings, a few boats, and a distant chimney emitting smoke, conveying a sense of everyday life in Paris.
Technique & Style
Whistler employed a combination of etching (with a needle) and drypoint (to scratch deeper lines) to achieve a characteristic delicate yet precise linework, resulting in a soft, velvety texture.
History & Provenance
Created while Whistler was a young artist living in Paris, the print is now part of the collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom.
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