Extraordinary Etchings Whistlerís Amsterdam Prints Famous for Detail, Realism by Carolyn Chapman American expatriate James McNeill Whistler, known primarily for his oil paintings, spent just one year in Amsterdam concentrating on his etchings, but the exceptional set of works that emerged from his short stay led him to be considered one of the greatest printmakers of his time. And to celebrate the centennial anniversary of his death, Whistlerís famed Amsterdam etchings are now being shown at the Freer Gallery of Art in ìWhistlerís Greatest Etchings: The 1889 Amsterdam Set.î Whistler studied in Paris and lived in London most of his life but was heavily influenced by Dutch artists, especially Rembrandt, a master printmaker to whom Whistler is often compared. He finally began visiting Holland in the early 1860s but did not produce any work there until 1889, when he made the Amsterdam etchings, the last great etchings that he would complete in his career. Whistlerís Amsterdam set is characterized by a combination of the detail and realism of his earlier Paris and London prints and the looser and more subjective style of his Venice prints. This set of 11 exquisitely detailed and intricate etchings is consid ered to be one of Whistlerís greatest accomplishments (even by Whistler himself), but the set is also unusual because of its extremely low print runóhe printed fewer than 30 impressions of each etching because the press plates quickly wore down because of the intricacy of his designs. Fourteen of these rare impressions are included in the exhibition, along with other masterpieces from Whistlerís etching career. Contrasting the Amsterdam etchings with Whistlerís earlier creations highlights how masterful and detailed the Amsterdam set truly is. These etchings were varied and employed the use of various techniques, all of which Whistler had come to master, including the use of different types of light, night scenes, waterways and buildings. Watch out for more Whistler at the Freer later this year. ìWhistlerís Greatest Etchings: The 1889 Amsterdam Setî runs through Feb. 1 at the Freer Gallery of Art, 12th Street and Independence Avenue, SW. For more information, please call (202) 357-2700 or visit www.asia.si.edu. Carolyn Chapman is an arts writer for The Washington Diplomat.