Artwork

Rag Pickers, Quartier Mouffetard, Paris

Rag Pickers, Quartier Mouffetard, Paris, by James McNeill Whistler, ink, 1858
Rag Pickers, Quartier Mouffetard, Paris, by James McNeill Whistler, ink, 1858

Rag Pickers, Quartier Mouffetard, Paris is an ink print by the Impressionist artist James McNeill Whistler. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

This print, 'Rag Pickers, Quartier Mouffetard, Paris', is an etching and drypoint work on laid paper, created by James McNeill Whistler. It portrays a scene of everyday life among the urban poor in 19th-century Paris.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts two figures in a simple, cluttered interior, likely collecting rags. The scene captures a quiet moment of interaction between the individuals, offering a glimpse into the lives of the poor during that era.

Technique & Style

Whistler employed etching and drypoint techniques to achieve textured details in the setting and expressive renderings of the figures, reflecting the social realities of his time through the visual elements of the work.

Artist & collection

Portrait of James McNeill Whistler

Artist

James McNeill Whistler

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.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.