Little Venice

1880

James McNeill Whistler

Associated Names
James McNeill Whistler

Artist, American, 1834 - 1903

The image features a cityscape viewed from a body of water. The horizon is near the center, with a line of buildings, including domes and towers, suggesting a historic city, potentially Venice. The city is depicted with delicate linework, providing an impressionistic feel. The lines are intricate, creating a sense of lightness. The color palette is understated, with sepia and black tones, offering a vintage appearance. The scene is serene, with the water mirroring the skyline and faint sketches of boats and poles adding depth and calm.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Collection of Mr. James Watson Webb [1884-1960] and Mrs. Electra Havemeyer Webb [1888-1960], Los Angeles and Vermont; gift to NGA 1942.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1983

  • Graphic Survey Show, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., May 1983.

1993

  • Splendid Legacy: The Havemeyer Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1993.

Bibliography

1910

  • Kennedy, Edward G. The Etched Work of Whistler. New York: Grolier Club, 1910, no. 183.

2012

  • MacDonald, Margaret F., Grischka Petri, Joanna Meacock.James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, a catalogue raisonné. University of Glasgow on-line website at http://etchings.arts.gla.ac.uk. University of Glasgow, 2012: no. 238, state ii/ii.

Inscriptions

on plate: ( butterfly imp.); on tab: (butterfly imp.);

Watermarks

WW countermark (possibly IV countermark?)

Wikidata ID

Q64958833

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