La Vieille aux Loques
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1898.230
Tags
About this artwork
2, 2
Art Historical Context
In 1858, American artist James McNeill Wh created *La Vieille aux Lo* ("The Old Woman with Rags"), a poignant etching capturing the humble life of a French ragpicker. Produced during Whistler's formative years in Paris, this print reflects his early immersion in Realism, influenced by contemporaries like Gustave Courbet. The image portrays an elderly woman amid her modest surroundings, emphasizing the dignity in everyday toil—a theme resonant with mid-19th-century urban scenes. As an etching, the work showcases Whistler's masterful use of the intaglio printing process, where acid bites into a...