The Forge

Forges and blacksmiths were a recurring theme is Whistler’s work and appear in several of his etchings and lithographs as an opportunity for the artist to explore the contrast of light and shadow. The scene shows the interior of a blacksmith’s shop with the glowing furnace on the left. The blacksmith, hands on hips, wears a protective apron and hat as he works a piece of metal in the fire with tongs. He is flanked by apprentices—whose bodies reflect the white hot glow of the fire—and additional figures on the right.

This etching and drypoint was drawn by Whistler in Brittany, where he visited from August through December of 1861 and was later printed with the 'Thames Set' in 1871 (and in a later edition in 1890).