Transformations on the Thames
Whistler’s arrival in London in 1858 coincided with massive construction on the banks of the Thames that would change the appearance and character of the city forever. Whistler moved to London shortly after publishing his first set of etchings in 1858 and remained in England on and off for the rest of his life. He and fellow artists Francis Seymour Haden and Walter Greaves captured the character of a city about to disappear.
Paris was not the only major European city experiencing major urban renewal and construction. In the late 1850’s, pollution and flooding on the Thames threatened public safety. The House of Commons had to move from its traditional meeting place on the lower Thames because of the foul smell. “The Great Stink” of 1858, as it was called, prompted plans to reinforce the riverbanks and build water treatment centers and extensive sewers. While these projects secured a clean water supply for London and alleviated the sanitation problems and pollution, they also changed the character of lower-class neighborhoods such as Chelsea. Whistler arrived in London just in time to document the Thames before it changed forever. In its review of Whistler’s Thames Set, the contemporary periodical Punch noted that these etchings of life on the banks were “all the more precious because the beauties they perpetrate are dying out.”
For over twenty years, Whistler lived in London on the Thames, observing everyday urban life. He did a number of river scenes of bridges, boats and longshoremen that focus on the industry and life on the water. On the banks of the Thames in Chelsea, he met Walter Greaves, the son of a boat-maker. Greaves was Whistler’s studio apprentice and accompanied Whistler on his sketching trips day and night. While Greaves never equaled Whistler’s technical skill, he was influenced by the American-born artist’s style and choice of subject matter.
Whistler’s brother-in-law, Francis Seymour Haden, was a skilled etcher in his own right and a Rembrandt devotee. Haden, who was later knighted for his services to art, was a practicing surgeon until he encountered Rembrandt’s etchings. He championed the Dutch master’s art, mounting exhibitions and lecturing extensively. Whistler, who became close to the Haden family in the 1850s, encouraged Haden to try his hand at etching, and the two worked closely for many years.
Whistler was never able to accept Haden as a master etcher in his own right. He became jealous when Haden found success and critical praise. The two argued in 1867 and Whistler pushed Haden out the window of a Paris café, effectively ending their personal and working relationship. While Haden depicted changing London, he also created rural landscapes in the classic European tradition. His prints show the same dynamic contrast between light and dark seen in the Dutch landscapes of Rembrandt and other masters.
- C. Grace Young