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Grand Canal, Amsterdam; Nocturne

National Museum of Asian Art
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Object Details

Artist
James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)
Description
A night view across the canal, with two buildings with lighted windows on the farther bank; on the nearer bank, a group of figures; signed with the butterfly at the lower right corner.
Signatures
Olive green butterfly in lower right corner.
Paper/Support
On cold-pressed, wove paper. Graphite sight marks in all four corners. Partial watermark reading "MAN 1881" and "B" is found along the top edge.
Provenance
To 1902
Henry Studdy Theobald (1847-1934), London, to 1902 [1]
From 1902 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Henry Studdy Theobald in 1902 [2]
From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
Notes:
[1] See Original Whistler List, Purchases from Thoebald, pg. 5, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. See also, Voucher No. 1, August 1902,
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.
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History
Whistler in Watercolor (May 18 to November 3, 2019)
The Texture of Night: James McNeill Whistler (June 6, 2009 to July 25, 2010)
Mr. Whistler's Galleries: Avant-garde in Victorian London, 1883 (November 20, 2003 to April 4, 2004)
James McNeill Whistler at the Freer Gallery of Art—Whistler and Modern Life (May 11, 1984 to December 16, 1984)
Whistler—Landscapes and Seascapes (October 14, 1969 to September 25, 1971)
Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 10 and 11 (February 25, 1956 to November 3, 1959)
Untitled Exhibition, Whistler Paintings and Drawings (December 14, 1955 to February 25, 1956)
Untitled Exhibition, Works of Whistler (September 22, 1947 to April 11, 1955)
Whistler Water Colors (January 7, 1924 to April 4, 1930)
American Paintings, Pastels, and Water Colors, and Drawings. J.A.McN. Whistler (May 2, 1923 to January 7, 1924)
Exposition des Oeuvres de James McNeill Whistler (May 1905)
Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler (February 23 to March 22, 1904)
"Notes"—"Harmonies"—"Nocturnes" (May 1884)
Previous custodian or owner
Henry Studdy Theobald (1847-1934) (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
1882
Accession Number
F1902.161a-b
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
Painting
Medium
Watercolor on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 22.7 x 28.4 cm (8 15/16 x 11 3/16 in)
Origin
United States
Related Online Resources
Google Cultural Institute
Whistler in Watercolor
See more items in
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Topic
water
night
United States
American Art
Record ID
fsg_F1902.161a-b
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye330603701-95fd-4895-a561-e21fbae1db4b
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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