The French Set was James McNeill Whistler's first successful venture as a mature artist. The portfolio includes views from a sketching trip the young artist took through the Alsace and the Rhineland in late summer 1858. In its dramatic interplay between light and dark, The Kitchen is one of the most ambitious etchings in the set. This particular impression is printed on thin Japanese paper. Whistler treasured this beautiful paper, saved his supply for many years, and used it only sparingly.