Accession Number
1954/1.374

Title
The Little Lagoon, One of the 'Twelve Etchings,' or the 'First Venice Set'

Artist(s)
James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1879-1880

Medium & Support
etching and drypoint, printed in black ink on laid paper, trimmed to platemark

Dimensions
13 7/16 in. x 8 7/8 in. ( 34.2 cm x 22.6 cm )

Credit Line
Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker

Subject matter
The spare composition, with its vertical format and decorative placement of elements on the water, reflects Whistler's interest in Japanese art; the minimal line work suggests that this plate could have been printed with rich plate tone, although most impressions seem to have been cleanly wiped as this one is.

Physical Description
Gondolas, striped poles, and channel markers all dot the open surface of water in this image. At the center is a two-masted ship at anchor. In the distance are low islands with buildings and ships in the distance under cloudy skies.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Western

Rights
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Keywords
Venice
boats
gondolas (flat-bottomed watercraft)
seascapes
ships
study
water