The Little Wheelwright's 1884

Curator: This is James Abbott McNeill Whistler's etching, "The Little Wheelwright's," housed here at Harvard. It’s a small thing, just seven by three inches. Editor: Immediately, it feels intimate and a little sad. The muted tones and sketchy lines create a sense of quiet decay. Curator: Whistler was fascinated by the working class and ordinary scenes. See how the composition focuses on the geometry of the buildings and the rhythmic repetition of forms? Editor: It feels like a memory, fragile and fading. The reflections in the water only amplify the transience. What stories do you imagine unfolded here? Curator: Perhaps tales of craft and industry, of hands shaping wood, of lives intertwined with labor. It leaves one pondering what became of them. Editor: Indeed, a poignant glimpse into a world both present and past.