A View from the Vault: Whistler’s "Riva"

by Ashley Rye-Kopec, Assistant Director, Museums

As we approach the end of the semester, Main Street in Newark becomes crowded with residents, students, holiday shoppers and more. James McNeill Whistler’s etching The Riva provides a similar opportunity to observe a bustling thoroughfare—although the city depicted is Venice, Italy and the people shown lived nearly 150 years ago.

In its title, The Riva announces its location: the Riva degli Schiavoni is a busy waterfront promenade that extends along the San Marco basin near some of Venice’s most recognizable landmarks, including the Doge’s Palace and the church of San Marco (whose domes are visible in the top right corner of the image). The subject allowed Whistler to incorporate both water and land, boats and buildings—and the variety of Venetian people who navigate or inhabit the space. 

James McNeill Whistler, The Riva, No. 1, 1880. Etching on paper. Museums Collections.

“A View from the Vault” showcases some of the unique, notable or rare items that are a part of the Special Collections and Museums holdings at the University of Delaware. Each month, we highlight a different work and share interesting facts or intriguing histories about it. If you are interested in seeing any of the materials featured in person or want to learn more about any work showcased in the series, please contact Special Collections and Museums at AskSpec or AskMuseums.