Blue and Silver: Portsmouth dates from July 1887. As President of the Society of British Artists, Whistler was invited to attend the Naval Review at Spithead on 27 July that marked the 50th Anniversary of the succession of Queen Victoria (1819-1901). This was probably a scene at the Review.

This watercolour is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1138).