Technique

Nocturne in Black and Gold: Entrance to Southampton Water, Freer Gallery of Art

It is thinly painted on very coarse canvas.

Although it would appear to be unsigned, information from Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) suggests that the lantern on top of the mast was intended as a butterfly signature. 1

Conservation History

It may have been the painting exhibited in Goupil's in 1892, which Whistler wanted to be cleaned by Stephen Richards (1844-1900), telling D. C. Thomson, 'Let Richards clean very delicately, & varnish - & keep until further notice.' 2

It was described in a Freer Gallery of Art conservation report of 1921 as a 'Virtually ruined canvas' with the 'Sky very much repainted'. However the varnish and overpaint was partially removed in 1921; it was relined and resurfaced in 1925; cleaned and surfaced in 1951; cleaned, varnished restretched, inpainted and again varnished in 1965. It is certainly extremely dark.

Frame

The style and whereabouts of the original frame are unknown.

Nocturne in Black and Gold: Entrance to Southampton Water, Freer Gallery of Art

1892: Grau Whistler frame, probably reframed for Whistler's 1892 retrospective exhibition: the frame still possesses a Goupil Gallery label.