James McNeill Whistler 1834-1903

The Pool depicts the stretch of the Thames between London Bridge and Rotherhithe where ocean-going vessels were unloaded. The composition is anchored by a man in a rowing boat who stares directly at the viewer, his figure cut off at the ankles to create a sense of photographic immediacy. Scholar Katharine Lochnan has pointed to the strong influence of Japanese ukiyo-e prints, of which Whistler was a collector, specifically comparing it to Hiroshige’s The Departure of the Daimyo for its similarly flattened space and raised horizon. The resulting image combines modern Realism with Eastern compositional theory. Whistler used Tunnel Pier as his vantage point, a busy and secure location where Customs officials were stationed to board incoming ships.