En Plein Soleil - James McNeill Whistler
Archival giclée
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Description
A delicate etching by James McNeill Whistler from his 1858 French Set, depicting a woman resting under a parasol in an open field.
En Plein Soleil is a notable etching from the series Twelve Etchings from Nature, often referred to as the French Set. Produced during the early stage of Whistler's career, this work demonstrates his technical proficiency with the copper plate and his interest in capturing transient moments of daily life. The subject is a woman seated in an open field, shielded from the sun by a parasol. Whistler employs a series of varied lines to define the textures of the grass, the fabric of the woman's shawl, and the delicate structure of the parasol. The composition is sparse, allowing the negative space of the paper to suggest the bright, open atmosphere of a summer day. Whistler worked closely with the printer Auguste Delâtre in Paris to achieve the specific tonal qualities seen in these early impressions. The etching reflects the artist's focus on direct observation, a practice he maintained throughout his career. By choosing a quiet, domestic scene rather than a grand historical or mythological subject, Whistler aligns himself with the realist tendencies of his contemporaries. The work is signed in the plate, and the lower margin includes the address of the printer, Delâtre, which was a common practice for this series. This print offers a clear view into the development of Whistler's graphic style, showing his ability to convey form and light through economical mark-making. It remains a representative example of his early printmaking efforts, which helped establish his reputation in the London and Paris art circles of the mid-nineteenth century.
Return policy
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. EU customers have a 14-day cooling-off right. See our refunds page for full details.
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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.
En Plein Soleil - James McNeill Whistler
Our Features
Designed for Lasting Impact
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
- Choose poster, framed print, canvas or framed canvas
- 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
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Artist Biography
James McNeill Whistler
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.
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