James McNeill Whistler 1834-1903

This print, while unrelated to the Thames and originally etched in Paris, was included in Whistler’s 1871 ‘Thames Set’. While the sitter Just Becquet was a prominent sculptor and painter, Whistler chose to depict him in his capacity as a skilled musician. Originally titled The Fiddler, the print actually shows Becquet playing the cello. Whistler reportedly etched the ‘inspired head’ of his friend in a single sitting, capturing the intensity of a man who was an enthusiast for Bach and Beethoven. A technical detail of this work is the presence of musket barrels and other traces at the top and bottom of the plate, which belong to an earlier etching by a different artist on the plate that Whistler had reused. This portrait remains one of the most celebrated examples of Whistler's ability to capture the Bohemian spirit of his Parisian circle.