The Unsafe Tenement
1858Etching on wove paper
K.17 (2/4)
Presented by Dr J. A McCallum, 1939
Hunterian Art Gallery, GLAHA 46699
This etching of a farmhouse in Alsace-Lorraine formed a picturesque centrepiece to the 'French Set'. A variety of lines and cross-hatching are used to distinguish details, while accidental splashes of acid mark the edges of the plate, increasing the dramatic effect. The subject and treatment reflects Whistler's admiration for 17th-century Dutch art, particularly the etchings of Jacob van Rysdael and Rembrandt.