Fine Art Framed
From $220
The same fine art print in a solid wood frame with UV-protective acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Five frame colours. Arrives ready to hang.
Thames Police - James McNeill Whistler
Regular price
$220.00 NZD
Sale price
$220.00 NZD
Regular price
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
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Made to order
Description
A detailed etching by James McNeill Whistler depicting the industrial riverfront of Wapping, London, in 1859.
Thames Police is a notable etching from the Thames Set, a series of sixteen prints produced by James McNeill Whistler during his early years in London. The work captures the industrial character of Wapping, a district along the river that served as a hub for maritime commerce and activity. Whistler focuses on the architecture of the riverbank, specifically the Thames Police station, which stands prominently on the right side of the composition. The etching demonstrates Whistler's technical proficiency with the needle. He employs a variety of line weights to define the textures of the wooden wharves, the rigging of the moored vessels, and the weathered brickwork of the riverside buildings. The foreground features a small boat resting on the mudflats, providing a sense of scale and immediate presence. Figures are scattered throughout the scene, engaged in the daily labour of the docks, which adds a layer of human activity to the urban environment. Whistler's approach to this scene avoids romanticised depictions of the city. Instead, he presents a direct observation of the working river. The sky is rendered with light, horizontal strokes that suggest the hazy atmosphere of the London waterfront. By choosing to document the less polished areas of the city, Whistler aligns himself with the realist tendencies of his contemporaries. This print remains a primary example of his ability to transform mundane industrial subjects into compelling graphic compositions through precise mark-making and careful observation of light and shadow.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Complete The Look
Thames Police - James McNeill Whistler
Regular price
From $130.00 NZD
Sale price
From $130.00 NZD
Regular price
Fine Art Framed / A4 (21x29.7 cm) / Black frame
Artist Biography
James Mcneill Whistler
Whistler was expelled from West Point for failing his chemistry exam. Asked to discuss silicon, he opened by calling it a gas. He later said: had silicon been a gas, I would have been a major general. He had accumulated demerits for keeping his hair longer than allowed and talking back to instructors. He appealed the expulsion all the way to the superintendent, Robert E. Lee. Lee declined.
He was born in 1834 in Lowell, Massachusetts. His father, a civil engineer, took the family to St Petersburg to advise on the railroad to Moscow. The young Whistler took drawing classes at the Imperial Academy of Sciences. After the West Point disaster, he briefly worked for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, learning the etching techniques he would use for the rest of his career, then left for Paris. He never lived in America again.
The painting everyone knows as Whistler's Mother is actually called Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1. He named his works with musical terms (Nocturnes, Arrangements, Harmonies, Symphonies) to insist that painting was about tonal composition, not subject matter. The painting of his mother was about grey and black. That it also depicted his mother was, in principle, secondary.
In 1877, John Ruskin reviewed his Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket and wrote that he never expected to hear a coxcomb ask two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public's face. Whistler sued for libel. The case was heard over two days in November 1878. He won, and was awarded damages of one farthing, the least valuable coin in the realm. The legal costs bankrupted him.
He signed his work with a butterfly. It started as a monogram inspired by the potter's marks on Chinese ceramics he collected, gradually evolving into an abstract butterfly shape. Around 1880, he added a stinger to it, representing both the delicate and the combative sides of his personality. The Peacock Room, his masterpiece of decorative art, extended his obsession with total harmony from a single painting to an entire architectural space.
He was born in 1834 in Lowell, Massachusetts. His father, a civil engineer, took the family to St Petersburg to advise on the railroad to Moscow. The young Whistler took drawing classes at the Imperial Academy of Sciences. After the West Point disaster, he briefly worked for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, learning the etching techniques he would use for the rest of his career, then left for Paris. He never lived in America again.
The painting everyone knows as Whistler's Mother is actually called Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1. He named his works with musical terms (Nocturnes, Arrangements, Harmonies, Symphonies) to insist that painting was about tonal composition, not subject matter. The painting of his mother was about grey and black. That it also depicted his mother was, in principle, secondary.
In 1877, John Ruskin reviewed his Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket and wrote that he never expected to hear a coxcomb ask two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public's face. Whistler sued for libel. The case was heard over two days in November 1878. He won, and was awarded damages of one farthing, the least valuable coin in the realm. The legal costs bankrupted him.
He signed his work with a butterfly. It started as a monogram inspired by the potter's marks on Chinese ceramics he collected, gradually evolving into an abstract butterfly shape. Around 1880, he added a stinger to it, representing both the delicate and the combative sides of his personality. The Peacock Room, his masterpiece of decorative art, extended his obsession with total harmony from a single painting to an entire architectural space.
Made to order
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Every piece is printed to order. These are the five finishes, and what makes each one different.
Canvas
From $130
Hand-stretched canvas with neat gallery-wrapped edges, giving the artwork surface texture and depth. Arrives ready to hang.
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