UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

awning, children, figure, fruit, greengrocer, people, shop, shop-front, streetscape.

There are several variations in the title, as in the examples below:


'Fruit & Potato - J. H. WOODS. - Salesman' (1887/1888, Whistler). 2
'Woods Fruit Shop' (1888, Whistler). 3
'Woods. Greengrocer - Chelsea -' (1894, Whistler). 4
'Woods Fruit Shop - Chelsea ' (1890/1892, Whistler). 5
'Wood’s Fruit-Shop' (1909, Howard Mansfield (1849-1938)). 6


'J. H. Woods' Fruit Shop, Chelsea' combines elements of the titles used by Whistler.

A street scene, drawn parallel to the edge of the copper plate. It shows a shop front with a striped awning under a sign reading: 'Fruit & Potato - J. H. WOODS. - Salesman.' Above the sign is the suggestion of ironwork- possibly a balcony with flowers on it. Goods are displayed on a cloth-covered table in front of the shop window at left. A woman stands at the right of the counter, looking to left, and in front of her, slightly to her left, is the suggestion of a pile of goods. To right, in the shadows under the awning, are two other figures, slightly indicated, one possibly serving at another counter. On the pavement at right are two children, looking at the shop. In the extreme right foreground is what seems to be a tall basket.

Joseph Henry Wood had a greengrocer's shop at 1 Park Walk (off the Fulham Road), Chelsea, London in 1887. By 1888 he was at 391 Fulham Road. 7

This is one of many Chelsea shop fronts etched by Whistler, such as The Little Rag Shop, Milman's Row [265], The Rag Shop, Milman's Row [290], Little Greengrocer's Shop, Chelsea [264], Little Steps, Chelsea [269], T. A. Nash's Greengrocer's Shop [298], Fish-Shop, Chelsea [267], Furniture Shop [278], The Barber's Shop, Chelsea [263], Rag Shop, Milman's Row, Chelsea [329], Shaving and Shampooing [442], Jubilee Place, Chelsea [276], Justice Walk, Chelsea [441] and Bird-Cages, Chelsea [297].