Artwork
Thames Police
Thames Police 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
The Thames Police dock is busy but calm, with old brick buildings lining the water.
You see a quiet riverside scene from 1859. The Thames Police dock is busy but calm, with old brick buildings lining the water. Boats bob in the brown river. A few figures stand on the dock, small against the wide sky.
This is an etching and drypoint. The lines are scratchy but clear, showing light on water in just black ink. It’s not a painting—it’s a print made by scratching a metal plate.
Search “etching, drypoint” to see how this scratchy technique works.
Overview
Thames Police is a print created using etching and drypoint techniques on wove paper. It presents a serene riverside scene.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts the Thames Police dock in 1859, with old brick buildings and boats on the river. Figures on the dock are small in comparison to the expansive sky, conveying a sense of calm activity.
Technique & Style
The print is executed in black ink, utilizing scratchy yet clear lines to capture the play of light on water. The use of etching and drypoint techniques gives the image a distinctive texture.
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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