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Tyzac, Whiteley & Co

Print
1859 (etched)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

During his formative years in Paris in the 1850s, Whistler was influenced by the injunctions of the poet and theorist Charles Baudelaire that artists should take subjects from 'modern life' and seek a new beauty in the teeming cities. Whistler's first major suite of prints, his 'French Set' brought critical acclaim but disappointing sales. Seeking more generous patrons, he moved to London in 1859. Initially under the influence of his brother-in-law Francis Seymour Haden, a pioneer of the 'etching revival', he began a series of superbly observed and finely detailed views of the River Thames with its shipping, thriving wharves and picturesque characters.

Object details

Category
Object type
Titles
  • Tyzac, Whiteley & Co (generic title)
  • The Thames Set (series title)
  • Eagle Wharf (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Etching on paper
Brief description
Etching by James Whistler, 'Eagle Wharf' or 'Tyzac, Whiteley & Co.', from the Thames Set, 1859.
Physical description
Etching by James Whistler, ‘Eagle Wharf’ or ‘Tyzac, Whiteley & Co.,’ from the Thames Set, etched 1859. Early impression. In addition to early impressions the plate was printed and issued in 1871 as one of the ‘Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames, and Other Subjects,’ by Ellis and Green, 32 King Street, Covent Garden, in editions of one hundred. Signed and dated by the artist in plate. View of the River Thames. In the foreground a boy sits on a barge, facing the viewer. Behind, boats moored next to warehouses, with the Tyzac, Whiteley & Co. building and another lettered ‘Eagle Wharf’ at left. Ships and a filigree of masts in the distance at right.
Dimensions
  • Height: 13.8cm
  • Width: 21.3cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'Whistler, 1859.' (Signed and dated by the artist in plate bottom middle.)
Object history
W.39; K.41.
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Summary
During his formative years in Paris in the 1850s, Whistler was influenced by the injunctions of the poet and theorist Charles Baudelaire that artists should take subjects from 'modern life' and seek a new beauty in the teeming cities. Whistler's first major suite of prints, his 'French Set' brought critical acclaim but disappointing sales. Seeking more generous patrons, he moved to London in 1859. Initially under the influence of his brother-in-law Francis Seymour Haden, a pioneer of the 'etching revival', he began a series of superbly observed and finely detailed views of the River Thames with its shipping, thriving wharves and picturesque characters.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Wedmore, Frederick. Whistler's Etchings, A Study and a Catalogue. London: Colnaghi & Co, 1899. No.39.
  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. San Francisco: Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 1978. No.41.
Collection
Accession number
19792

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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