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Whistler's first major suite of prints, his 'French Set' brought critical acclain but disappointing sales.  Seeking more generous patrons, he moved to London in 1859. Initially under the influence of his brother-in-law Francis Seymour Haden, a pioneer of the 'etching revival', he began a series of superbly observed and finely detailed views of the River Thames with its shipping, thriving wharves and picturesque characters.","physicalDescription":"Etching by James Whistler, ‘Wapping Wharf’ or ‘Thames Police’ from the Thames Set; etched 1859, early impression. Later impressions from the plate were printed and issued in 1871 as one of the ‘Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames, and Other Subjects,’ by Ellis and Green, 32 King Street, Covent Garden, in editions of one hundred. Signed and dated by the artist in plate. River view: in the foreground, boats drawn up on the shore at low tide, with ships’ masts in the distance at left. A mass of riverside buildings occupies the main of the composition, with the Wapping Wharf and Thames Police buildings at right.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Whistler, James Abbott McNeill","id":"A8983"},"association":{"text":"printmaker","id":"AAT25164"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Delâtre, Auguste","id":"A4334"},"association":{"text":"printer (person)","id":"AAT25732"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"etching (printing process)","id":"AAT53241"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Etching on 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1859.'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed and dated by the artist in plate bottom right."}],"objectHistory":"This is one of a group of 16 prints that were sold to the V&A (South Kensington Museum) by Francis Seymour Haden, the artist's brother-in-law, in 1861. The suite of prints were purchased for £10.10.10.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Etching by James Whistler, 'Thames Police' from the Thames Set; etched 1859.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Wedmore, Frederick. <u>Whistler's Etchings, A Study and a Catalogue</u>. London: Colnaghi & Co, 1899. No.42, 1st state."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Kennedy, Edward G. <u>The Etched Work of Whistler</u>. San Francisco: Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 1978. 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