Technique

Violet and Silver: The Great Sea, Freer Gallery of Art

It was freely and vigorously painted. The white surf was indicated by a square-ended brush that edged along the panel from left to right in short, jerking strokes. The nearer surf and beach were painted smoothly, with long strokes of fairly thin paint. A smaller brush was used for the figures, the distant rollers and the uneven skyline. The sky itself was painted with broad, criss-crossing and bouncing brushstrokes, which convey the changing shapes of the wind-blown clouds effectively.

Conservation History

According to Freer Gallery files, the varnish was removed in 1921, and it was cleaned and varnished in 1937, resurfaced in 1938, and cleaned and surfaced in 1951.

Frame

Large Dowdeswell frame, made for Whistler's one-man exhibition in 1884 [14.1 cm]. 1