The Lime-Burner

The Lime-burner is one of Whistler's Sixteen Etchings of Scenes on the Thames. First exhibited at The Royal Academy in 1869 under the title W. Jones, Lime-burner, Thames Street, the print exemplifies Whistler's desire to forge direct connections with his subjects. Whistler cultivated these ties by living in the poorest sections of London described by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne as "lined with the shabbiest, blackest and ugliest buildings that can be imagined." Whistler's choice to live in such areas was unheard of for British artists and shocked many of his contemporaries. In this print, Whistler used bold lines and contrasting areas of light and shade to draw the eye to the central figure and beyond to a view of the Thames.