Titles

Only one title is known :

• 'Bleu et argent: Dordrecht' (1887, Petit). 1

Description

Possibly a view of the houses or canals in the city of Dordrecht.

Site

Dordrecht, in the western Netherlands, is bounded by several rivers, the Oude Maas, Beneden Merwede, Nieuwe Merwede, Hollands Diep, and Dordtsche Kil, and in Whistler's time was a busy port.

Two of Whistler's paintings have the city in their title: Note en gris: Dordrecht [YMSM 293] and the painting under discussion, Bleu et argent: Dordrecht [YMSM 294], as do several watercolours, some identified (Dordrecht [M.0876], r.: Gold and Brown: Dordrecht; v.: Dordrecht [M.0968], A Little Red Note: Dordrecht [M.0969], Note in Rose and Silver - Dordrecht [M.0970], Gold and grey - The Sunny Shower, Dordrecht [M.0973], and Grey and Green - Dordrecht [M.0976]) and several unlocated (Silver and Red: Dordrecht [M.0971], A silver note: Dordrecht [M.0972], Note en gris: Dordrecht [M.0974], and Dordrecht [M.1709]). However, this is the only painting where 'blue' is given in the title as the dominant colour, and it is not obvious in any of the extant pictures.

Whistler etched small plates showing boats and canals in Dordrecht: Little Dordrecht [260] (G260), Barges, Dordrecht [262] (G262) and Dordrecht [259] (G259) in 1885 or 1886.