Provenance

Unknown.

Exhibitions

• 1886: 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Second Series, Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1886 (cat. no. 28) as 'Blue and grey – Dieppe'.

The value of 'Blue and grey Dieppe' was estimated by Dowdeswell at a modest £18.0.0 but it was finally priced £20.0.0 by Whistler. 1 It may be the same picture exhibited in the following year as Bleu et argent: Dieppe [YMSM 332].

The Illustrated London News on 15 May 1886 commented:

'At Messrs. Dowdeswell’s Gallery (133, New Bond-street) there is a somewhat remarkable exhibition of Notes—Harmonies and Nocturnes,” by Mr. J. McN. Whistler, which display all that versatile artist’s merits and faults. The difficulty in estimating such works is to know for certain when Mr. Whistler is in earnest, and when he is simply imposing on the public. For instance, there are here at least half score of works which belong to the former category; among such are the "Sands at Dieppe" (1)," ... "Dieppe" (28), "The Sad Seashore" (43), "La Cour de L'Hôtel" (46), "The Sweet-Shop" (49), … For such as these we can only express an unfeigned admiration.'