Exhibition

Whistler, Haden, and the Gentle Art of Etching

Best known for his paintings and outsize personality, James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) was also an important contributor to the history of printmaking. "Whistler, Haden, and the Gentle Art of Etching" features 17 examples of Whistler's work as an etcher and focuses on the early phases of his career.
James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), The Music Room, c. 1858, etching, 14.6 x 21.6 cm, brown ink on light gray paper. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Hannah and Russel Kully.

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), The Music Room, c. 1858, etching, 14.6 x 21.6 cm, brown ink on light gray paper. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Hannah and Russel Kully.

Francis Seymour Haden (1818-1910), Whistler's House, Old Chelsea, 1863, etching and drypoint on laid paper, 17.3 x 32.9 cm. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Russel I. Kully.

Francis Seymour Haden (1818-1910), Whistler's House, Old Chelsea, 1863, etching and drypoint on laid paper, 17.3 x 32.9 cm. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Russel I. Kully.

1
James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), The Music Room, c. 1858, etching, 14.6 x 21.6 cm, brown ink on light gray paper. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Hannah and Russel Kully.
Francis Seymour Haden (1818-1910), Whistler's House, Old Chelsea, 1863, etching and drypoint on laid paper, 17.3 x 32.9 cm. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Russel I. Kully.

Best known for his paintings and outsize personality, James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) was also an important contributor to the history of printmaking. “Whistler, Haden, and the Gentle Art of Etching” features 17 examples of Whistler’s work as an etcher and focuses on the early phases of his career, when his interaction with amateur printmaker and avid print collector Francis Seymour Haden (1818–1910) informed his taste, subject matter, and compositional strategies. Haden was Whistler’s brother-in-law and also provided a home for Whistler during his early years in London. Though their personal relationship ended abruptly after a violent disagreement, their artistic relationship lives on in the extraordinary etchings displayed in this focused exhibition of works from The Huntington’s permanent collection, the Pomona College Museum of Art, and a private collection in New York.