The Morning before the Massacre

The morning before the Massacre

J. M. Whistler

Wood engraving by Joseph Swain

5¾ x 4 inches

Once a Week 7 (16 August 1862): 210.

The illustration represents a poem by Walter Thornbury in which a Huguenot lady contemplates her marriage the next day, which she imagines as a purely happy event. However, Whistler takes up on the poem’s implications of forthcoming conflict and uncertainty. [Commentary continues below.]

Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke. Click on the `image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]