Blue and Silver–Choppy Channel

A nearly abstract view of the rough sea, signed with the butterfly at lower left.

Maker(s)
Artist: James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)
Historical period(s)
ca. 1893-1897
Medium
Watercolor on paper mounted to board
Dimensions
H x W: 14.1 × 24.2 cm (5 9/16 × 9 1/2 in)
Geography
United States
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1899.24a-b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Watercolor

Keywords
ocean, United States
Provenance

1899
Goupil et Cie, London 1899 [1]

From 1899 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Goupil et Cie, London in 1899 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] Undated folder sheet note, Object file. Also see Original Whistler List, Paintings, pg. 17, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Goupil et Cie (C.L. Freer source) 1829-1919
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Description

A nearly abstract view of the rough sea, signed with the butterfly at lower left.

Inscription(s)

Verso: 'Blue & Silver' / The Chopping Channel' / Butterfly signature

Published References
  • Kerry Roeder. Whistler in Watercolor. Washington. .
  • Margaret F. MacDonald. James McNeill Whistler: Drawings, Pastels, and Watercolours : A Catalogue Raisonné. New Haven, 1995. .
  • Christopher Finch. Twentieth-Century Watercolors. New York. pp. 13-14, fig. 9.
  • Donald Holden. Whistler Landscapes and Seascapes. New York. p. 81, pl. 30.
  • Elisabeth Luther Cary. The Works of James McNeill Whistler: A Study., 1st ed. New York, 1907. No. 96, p. 172.
  • David Park Curry. James McNeill Whistler at the Freer Gallery of Art. Washington and New York, 1984. p. 204, pl. 135.
Collection Area(s)
American Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
Whistler in Watercolor
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use