Sir Francis Seymour Haden
Battersea Reach
1862
Physical Qualities
Etching and drypoint, Plate: 150 × 227 mm. (5 7/8 × 8 15/16 in.)
Credit Line
Garrett Collection
Object Number
1946.112.6021
This work is one of Haden’s most important etchings. A leader in the etching revival and Whistler’s brother-in-law, as well as a medical doctor, Haden taught Whistler about printmaking. In turn, he received advice from Whistler on the latest French tastes and
artistic techniques. This view of Battersea Reach, one of the straight portions of the winding river, probably looks onto the Thames from Whistler’s house, and in fact a variant of this print is titled Old Chelsea, Out of Whistler’s Window. Note the balloon ascending in
the sky. Haden founded the Royal Society of Painters, Etchers, and Engravers
in 1880, but the bulk of his work was produced between 1858 and 1865, before he became estranged from Whistler.
"Claude Monet and Modernist London: Reflections on the Thames", Museum of Fine Arts of St. Petersburg, Florida, January 16, 2005 through April 17, 2005; tour to Brooklyn Museum of Art, June 29, 2005 - September 4, 2005; The Baltimore Museum of Art, October 2, 2005 - January 31, 2006.