James Mcneil Whistler

**Get-the-point** · Aug 24, 2010, 10:48 AM

Well I have finally found one!!! After 5yrs of collecting art I have obtained a Whistler Engraving!!!! This piece was found at a Antique store in NE Pennsylvania. My cousin calls me up and says let's go antiquing. I was like ok since this was a first for him. He never comes out with me on my hunts, but this day he wanted to. He told me that he had passed two antique stores that he wanted to check out. When we went into the first one I got to looking around and when I turned the corner I saw this engraving on the wall. It had a price tag that said early engraving on it. When I looked at it it looked real and then I looked at the signature. It nearly made me drop!!! I snatched it off the wall and immediately paid for it without question or haggle. The signature was none other than Whistler 1859. James Mcneil Whistler is the artist and one of America's early masters!!!! I knew it held value!!

So I took it to two fine arts dealers and both verified what I already knew that is was real. The first said, "Oh my God you have a real Whistler Engraving." the next one told me that I had a very valuable and rare piece!!! So I took it to a fine arts restorer to have the foxing dots taken out of it and he refused to touch it. He told me it was 100% intact and un-altered and He did not want to take any chances with it and told me to not do the same!! So after further investigation I found it!! IT is titled " BLACK LION WHARF" and is apart of the sixteen plate etching series that James Whistler did. Sotheby's and Christies both sold the same engraved image. One for 6k and another for 5700$ The one that sold for 6k had damage to it. The margins were cropped and it had a cut in the center of it!!! Mine is 100% so it must hold a higher value since these were sold 4yrs ago!!! I hope you enjoy, I am selling this piece and plan on bringing this to Swann Auctions this week.