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The Seashore

Asian Art Museum

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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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    Object Details

    Artist

    James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

    Description

    A view of the sea and sand, with sailboats in the distance and small figures along the shore; signed with the butterfly at lower right.

    Signatures

    Blue-gray butterfly near center at bottom edge

    Paper/Support

    On a cold-pressed, wove paper mounted overall to 4-ply board.

    Provenance

    To 1902
    William Marchant & Co., London, to 1902 [1]
    From 1902 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from William Marchant & Co. in 1902 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Whistler List, Paintings, pg. 18, 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

    James McNeill Whistler at the Freer Gallery of Art: Whistler as Decorator (May 11, 1984 to December 5, 1984)
    Whistler—Landscapes and Seascapes (October 14, 1969 to September 25, 1971)
    Untitled Exhibition, Whistler Watercolors, Oil Paintings, and Pastels (January 20, 1944 to October 13, 1947)
    Whistler Pastels and Drawings, Re-arranged and some additions (January 7, 1924 to January 20, 1944)
    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)
    Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces (March through April, 1892)

    Previous custodian or owner

    William Marchant & Co. (flourished 1907-1925) (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

    Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer

    Date

    ca. 1885

    Accession Number

    F1902.144a-c

    Restrictions & Rights

    Usage conditions apply

    Type

    Painting

    Medium

    Watercolor on paper

    Dimensions

    H x W: 21.5 x 12.8 cm (8 7/16 x 5 1/16 in)

    Origin

    United States

    Related Online Resources

    Google Arts & Culture
    Whistler in Watercolor

    See more items in

    National Museum of Asian Art

    Data Source

    National Museum of Asian Art

    Topic

    mounting
    bone black
    cerulean blue
    Prussian blue
    burnt sienna
    raw sienna
    iron oxide red
    zinc white
    strontium chromate
    Mars pigment
    yellow ocher
    ocean
    boat
    cloud
    beach
    United States
    American Art
    seascape
    Charles Lang Freer collection

    Metadata Usage

    Not determined

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3321eecc5-5489-4741-bce9-dc553c5f04fe

    Record ID

    fsg_F1902.144a-c

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