The Pierrot / James McNeill Whistler
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1954/1.406
- Title
- The Pierrot
- Artist
- James McNeill Whistler
- Artist Nationality
- American
- Artist Life Dates
- 1834-1903
- Medium and Support
- etching and drypoint, printed in dark brown ink on wove paper
- Object Creation Date
- 1889
- Object Creation Place
- North America
- American
- Creation Place 1
- North America
- Creation Place 2
- American
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker
- Style/Group/Movement
- Aesthetic Movement
- Inscription
- On the plate, u.l., below window Signed, in pencil, on tab: Butterfly monogram and imp.
- Dimensions
- 23.1 cm x 16 cm (9 1/8 in. x 6 5/16 in.)
- Century
- 19th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Primary Object Type
- intaglio print
- Physical Description
- A man stands in an apron and rolled sleeves in the water door of a building along a canal. Another figure is seen kneeling and reaching down to the water at the left edge of the water door. The building and its reflection fills the frame; the emphasis is on the figures in the darkened opening, along with their reflections, while the upper story of the building is only summarily indicated.
- Subject Matter
- According to the Glasgow catalogue raisonné, along with a general revival of interest in the rococo, and thus with Pierrot, one of the principal figures of the commedia dell'arte. The Symbolists were also fascinated with the enigmatic figure of Pierrot and Whistler's friendship with Stéphane Mallarmé may also be related to Whistler's choice of this figure for the title of this print.
- This work and "Balcony, Amsterdam" were done on the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, then known as Rottenest. The store front is part of the back of Zeedijk no. 52.
- Secondary Keywords
- architectural elements
- associated concepts
- bodies of water and components of bodies of water
- buildings and the land
- components
- components and systems
- components by specific context
- energy and related concepts
- energy-related concepts
- europe (continent)
- geographic and political locations
- hydraulic structures
- hydraulic structures by form
- landscapes (environments)
- light-related concepts
- natural landscapes
- netherlands (nation)
- north holland (province)
- openings (architectural elements)
- openings and opening components
- openings by form
- people and culture
- physical activities
- physical activities by general context
- physical sciences concepts
- physics concepts
- scientific concepts
- settlements and landscapes
- single built works
- single built works by function
- single built works by specific type
- windows and window components
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 871 x 1297
- File Size
- 172 KB
- Record
- 1954/1.406
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1954-sl-1.406/1954_1.406.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1954-SL-1.406:1954_1.406.JPG
Cite this Item
View the Help Guide for more information.
- Full citation
-
"The Pierrot; James McNeill Whistler." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1954-sl-1.406/1954_1.406.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 25, 2024.
