Soupe a Trois Sous, 1859

This is an original etching by American artist James McNeill Whistler.  The title is Soupe a Trois Sous, created and printed in 1859.  This image is plate signed Whistler upper center of the image, printed on a thin laid type sheet.  The subject :  Whistler's first title, 'Café des Pieds Monilles' implies a particular café. 'Café des Pieds Monilles' is almost certainly a garbled reference to the Parisian Café des Pieds-Humides ('Café of the Wet Feet'). However, this title seems to have been immediately rejected in favour of the more familiar 'Soupe à trois sous'.  The Café des Pieds-Humides was established in 1845 opposite the Rue aux Fers and the Fontaine des Innocents near Les Halles. According to a popular legend, the water would pour inside when it rained and wet the customer's feet, hence the name.