Floor plan

Style galleriesThe Etching Revival

The Etching Revival

Nocturne: Palaces, by James McNeill Whistler, 1879–80
The image shows a street scene from a close perspective down a narrow alleyway. The horizon is not visible, with buildings on both sides. The style features detailed etching with fine lines and shading for depth and texture. The color palette is monochromatic with black, gray, and off-white tones. The houses have worn facades, and there is a distant figure. The sky is dark and overcast, enhancing the shadow-filled scene.
Portrait of Mrs. C--, by Henry Wolf, 1894
The Stranger, by Albert Sterner, 1916
The Frugal Meal, by Pablo Picasso, September 1904, printed 1913

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Artists who took up the etching needle again, from Whistler to the Paris printmakers.

Section 1, north wall

  1. Nocturne: Palaces, by James McNeill Whistler, 1879–80
    Nocturne: PalacesJames McNeill Whistler, 1879–80Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The image shows a street scene from a close perspective down a narrow alleyway. The horizon is not visible, with buildings on both sides. The style features detailed etching with fine lines and shading for depth and texture. The color palette is monochromatic with black, gray, and off-white tones. The houses have worn facades, and there is a distant figure. The sky is dark and overcast, enhancing the shadow-filled scene.
    Street in SaverneJames McNeill Whistler, 1858Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Portrait of Mrs. C--, by Henry Wolf, 1894
    Portrait of Mrs. C--Henry Wolf, 1894Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Section 1, south wall

  1. The Stranger, by Albert Sterner, 1916
    The StrangerAlbert Sterner, 1916Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  2. The Frugal Meal, by Pablo Picasso, September 1904, printed 1913
    The Frugal MealPablo Picasso, September 1904, printed 1913Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 2, south wall

  1. The image shows a residential area with barren trees, rooftops of houses, and people walking along fences. The trees sway in the wind, their branches extending in various directions. The scene is depicted in a monochromatic black and white style, with expressive lines creating a sense of movement and a sketch-like quality. The horizon is high, showing rooftops and the sun above it.
    LandscapeTheo von BrockhusenCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. The image features a large building with a domed tower on the right side. The horizon shows hills, trees, and the sky. The brushstrokes give detailed texture to the scene, with a focus on the landscape and architecture. The color palette is sepia-toned. A tree, fence, smaller buildings, and a figure on a path add depth and perspective to the scene.
    Mission Santa Barbara, Looking SouthHenry Chapman Ford, 1888Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Head of an Old Man, by Kerr Eby, ca. 1918
    Head of an Old ManKerr Eby, ca. 1918Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Section 2, north wall

  1. A work made of transfer lithograph in black on gray china paper.
    At the window ("Open here I flung the shutter..."), from The Raven (Le Corbeau)Édouard Manet, 1875Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. A work made of lithograph on ivory wove paper.
    Paulus, from Le Café-ConcertHenri-Gabriel Ibels, 1893Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. The image shows two individuals seated outdoors near a body of water with their feet submerged. Both individuals are seen from head to toe. The person on the left is seated with a slightly hunched posture, reading a document or a book. They have a balding head, wear glasses, a dark suit with the coat draped over their knees, and a top hat placed on the ground. The individual on the right is sitting upright with a scarf over their hair. They wear a long dress with a shawl, and their hands rest on their lap. The background features a bare tree and a rough, sketched environment. The sky and landscape are depicted in shades of light and dark.
    Une lecture intéressante et rafraichissanteHonoré Daumier, 1854Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 3, north wall

  1. The Petit Pont, by Charles Meryon, 1850
    The Petit PontCharles Meryon, 1850Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. In proof of true love, a watercarrier skeleton arguing with a woman (Posada); two skeleton angels in upper corners (Manilla), by José Guadalupe Posada, ca. 1890–96
    In proof of true love, a watercarrier skeleton arguing with a woman (Posada); two skeleton angels in upper corners (Manilla)José Guadalupe Posada, ca. 1890–96Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. Evening, Melancholy I, by Edvard Munch, 1896
    Evening, Melancholy IEdvard Munch, 1896Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 3, south wall

  1. Nocturne (Nocturne: The Thames at Battersea), by James McNeill Whistler, 1878
    Nocturne (Nocturne: The Thames at Battersea)James McNeill Whistler, 1878Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The image depicts a landscape with a river flowing through it. In the foreground, there is a small boat on the water, and in the background, sailboats are docked near a strip of land. Tall trees with sparse foliage are on the right side, with a structure nestled among them near the water. The horizon is slightly above the center of the image, with a calm sky above it. The brushstrokes vary in texture, with fine strokes for the sky and water and more detailed strokes for the trees. The color palette is muted, with sepia and gray tones creating a peaceful atmosphere. Birds are scattered in the sky.
    Shrewsbury RiverJohn Hill Millspaugh, 1887Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington