The Little Pool - James McNeill Whistler
Archival giclée
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Description
An 1861 etching by James McNeill Whistler depicting the busy Thames riverfront, featuring moored barges and detailed maritime rigging.
The Little Pool is an etching produced by James McNeill Whistler in 1861. It depicts a scene along the River Thames, a subject that occupied the artist during his early years in London. The composition focuses on the busy activity of the riverfront, featuring moored barges and the masts of larger vessels visible in the distance. Two figures stand on the wharf in the foreground, observing the water, which provides a sense of scale and human presence within the industrial environment. Whistler utilised the etching needle to capture the textures of the wooden boats and the rigging of the ships. The lines are precise, demonstrating his technical control over the copper plate. The work includes text inscribed directly into the plate, which served as a promotional announcement for an exhibition of his etchings and drypoints at the gallery of E. Thomas on Old Bond Street. This integration of commercial information into the pictorial space is a characteristic feature of this specific state of the print. As a member of the Thames Set, this work reflects Whistler's interest in the maritime life of London. He avoided the romanticised depictions of the city common at the time, preferring to document the reality of the docks and the working river. The print demonstrates his ability to balance atmospheric observation with the graphic requirements of the etching medium. The open composition allows the viewer to scan the river, while the foreground figures anchor the scene. This print remains a record of the mid-nineteenth-century Thames, showing the transition of the river from a site of traditional trade to an industrial hub. The clarity of the line work and the economy of the composition are typical of Whistler's approach to printmaking during this period.
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.
The Little Pool - 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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