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James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Beaching the Boat, ca. 1883-1884

Description

Maker

Title

Beaching the Boat

Year

ca. 1883-1884

Medium

Watercolor on cream paper

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Supports

Dimensions

13.2 x 22.9 cm (5 3/16 x 9 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

LR:butterfly monogram in watercolor; verso, in pencil, C:No 21-

Type

Credit

Anonymous gift

Object Number

70.118.59

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Landscape and Leisure

March 13 - July 19, 2015

Like many of James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s paintings, this view of a beach is more suggestive than descriptive, and presents an exercise in color harmony. Working from the bottom of the composition up, Whistler layered thin veils of broadly brushed color to make up the sea, ranging from delicate greens to cobalt blue. He balanced the blues with the subtler colors of the sky and beach. The figures and boats were painted next, with each figure’s shape carefully delineated. The heads were added last, when the paint was dry.

Whistler made this work while visiting the fishing village of St. Ives in Cornwall, England, in 1883–1884.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Beaching the Boat with the accession number of 70.118.59. To request a higher resolution file, please submit an online request.