Wapping
between 1860 and 1864 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This oil on canvas painting depicts a scene at a tavern balcony overlooking the Wapping area of the London docks, featuring a woman and two men in conversation. It is a notable example of Whistler's work capturing the industrial atmosphere of the Thames riverside.
Did you know?
The painting features portraits of the artist's mistress, Joanna Hiffernan, and the artist Alphonse Legros. Wapping was a notorious location in London at the time, and the painting captures the gritty, bustling reality of the riverside docks before Whistler shifted toward his more atmospheric, impressionistic Nocturnes.
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Wapping
James McNeill Whistler, between 1860 and 1864
