Balcony, Amsterdam 1889

"Balcony, Amsterdam," is an etching by James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Whistler, an American expatriate living in Europe, made the etching after one of his many trips to Amsterdam. During the 19th century, Amsterdam society maintained a rigid class structure. Here, Whistler’s perspective emphasizes the lives of working-class women, presenting them not as objects of labor but as individuals participating in the urban landscape. The artist creates a complex interplay between public and private spaces; we are presented with the lives lived within the domestic space as it spills out onto the street. The view from the balcony and the reflections in the water below merge, blurring the lines between inside and out. Whistler once said he wanted his art to evoke a feeling, “as a musician throws together themes suggesting thought, bringing about resultant harmony.” With it's delicate lines and tonal nuances, the image offers a meditation on modern life and the experience of women in a rapidly changing urban environment.