The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Nocturne in Blue and Silver may date from the early 1870s and was exhibited at the 12th Exhibition, Society of French Artists, Deschamps Gallery, London, 1876 (cat. no. 145). ¹

Images

Subject

Titles

Only one title is known:

• 'Nocturne in Blue and Silver' (1876, Society of French Artists). ²

Description

The sole description is based on a review in the The Glasgow Herald:

‘A “Nocturne in Blue and Silver” (145) is a girl leaning on a balustrade and looking out over a moonlit sea full of feeling and poetry, and showing Mr Whistler’s powers at their best.’ ³

Annabel Lee, The Hunterian

Sketch for 'Annabel Lee', The Hunterian

Symphony in Green and Violet, Freer Gallery of Art

The description does not match any painting identified so far. Annabel Lee y079 and Sketch for 'Annabel Lee' y080 show a woman leaning on a railing, but not looking out over a moonlit sea. Several of the so-called 'Six Projects', particularly Symphony in Green and Violet y083, include figures, railings and sea, but are not nocturnes.

The painting may have been destroyed, lost, or painted over by Whistler. It is also possible that the art critic was incorrect in identifying or describing the picture.

Site

Unknown.

Technique

Technique

A review in the The Glasgow Herald stated that the painting showed 'Mr Whistler’s powers at their best’ but is not specific about the actual technique. ⁴

Conservation History

Unknown.

Frame

Unknown.

History

Provenance

Unknown.

Exhibitions

• 1876: 12th Exhibition, Society of French Artists, Deschamps Gallery, London, 1876 (cat. no. 145) as 'Nocturne in Blue and Silver'.

The 'Nocturne in Blue and Silver', described as 'a girl leaning on a balustrade and looking out over a moonlit sea full of feeling and poetry', has not been identified. ⁵

Nocturne: Blue and Silver – Bognor, Freer Gallery of Art

One other seascape was exhibited with the Society of French Artists in 1876: Nocturne: Blue and Silver - Bognor y100, reproduced above

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• None,

Authored by Whistler

• None.

Catalogues 1855-1905

• 12th Exhibition, Society of French Artists, Deschamps Gallery, London, 1876 (cat. no. 145) as 'Nocturne in Blue and Silver'.

Newspapers 1855-1905

• Anon., 'Fine Art Exhibitions in London', The Glasgow Herald, Glasgow, 25 April 1876, p. 3.

Journals 1855-1905

• None.

Monographs

• None.

Books on Whistler

• None.

Books, General

• None.

Catalogues 1906-Present

• None.

Journals 1906-Present

• None.

Websites

• None.

Unpublished

• None.

Other

• None.