Black Lion Wharf 1859

Curator: This is James McNeill Whistler’s etching, Black Lion Wharf. Look closely to appreciate the details in the plate. Editor: It feels melancholic, a muted snapshot of industry with muted brown tonality across the scene. Curator: Whistler was indeed fascinated by the working Thames, and this etching shows the density of labor along the river. Consider the different social classes implied here. Editor: Yes, the seated figure in the foreground almost feels like a symbolic observer, removed from the bustling activity surrounding him, a representation of the artist himself. Curator: Perhaps, but it's also about the physical act of etching itself, the artist’s hand shaping the metal, mirroring the labor he depicts. The lines denote all the labor that went into making the image. Editor: I’m struck by the visual vocabulary of boats and buildings; they evoke a sense of timelessness and commerce. The masts, the chimneys, they all point upwards. Curator: The print allows us to consider what that industrial commerce and landscape entailed, and its impact on society and art. Editor: Indeed, a powerful convergence of visual language and cultural history.