Whistler & Company: The Etching Revival

Event Description

Join Ruth Grim, Chief Curator/Gary R. Libby Curator of Art for a lecture on the exhibition, Whistler & Company: The Etching Revival from the Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania. 

James Abbot McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), one of the most familiar names in American art at the turn of the last century, nevertheless spent most of his career in England where he played an essential role in the etching revival of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This lecture will examine his gritty imagery of the River Thames, views of Venice, and Parisian scenes brought forth through etching, a medium that had lost popularity over the ages. Valued for its ability to render atmosphere and strong light and dark contrasts, etching came into its own during the Renaissance but found its greatest champion in Rembrandt in the 17th century. The Dutch master produced thousands of copies of his prints and helped elevate the art of etching during his lifetime. But after his death, it fell off in popularity and it was up to Whistler and his circle to revive the art form c. 1890. Rediscovering the unique properties of this medium, they created prints prized for their evocative images of a particular time and place using this time-honored art form from the past. 

Admission: Free for members or with paid museum admission.