GENERAL DESCRIPTION
James McNeill Whistler drew his River Nocturne on the brown paper he favored for pastels. His 1870s Nocturnes series of paintings mostly captures the views of the Thames at night. Beginning in 1866, Whistler began to use musical nomenclature for his titles. These musical designations were meant to suggest the analogy between the visual arts and the abstract art of music. Both, he felt, should be independent of narrative and purely aesthetically pleasing without the confusion caused by specific emotions or reminiscences. He often used titles like “Arrangement,” “Harmony,” and, in this case, “Nocturne,” to distance his art from specific referents.
Adapted from
William Keyse Rudolph, DMA label copy, 2005.
NOTES
Created c. 1874
July 2005
Rebecca Singerman worked on this note.
Geography: Possibly a view of Battersea Bridge, a common subject of Whistler’s at this time. It was conveniently located to his home in Chelsea.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin and depicted location: London (England): TGN: 7011781
Depicted location: Thames (river): TGN: 7011913
Process/materials
Pastel heightened with bodycolor
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
From 1984: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. Elsbeth Juda, in memory of Betty Marcus
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- Freer Sackler Galleries, Washington, DC~Learn more about James McNeill Whistler.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- James McNeill Whistler’s Chelsea townhouse, known as the White House, was mere blocks away from the Thames River. He depicted the Thames often and in many media.
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1984.181
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
James McNeill Whistler drew his River Nocturne on the brown paper he favored for pastels. His 1870s Nocturnes series of paintings mostly captures the views of the Thames at night. Beginning in 1866, Whistler began to use musical nomenclature for his titles. These musical designations were meant to suggest the analogy between the visual arts and the abstract art of music. Both, he felt, should be independent of narrative and purely aesthetically pleasing without the confusion caused by specific emotions or reminiscences. He often used titles like “Arrangement,” “Harmony,” and, in this case, “Nocturne,” to distance his art from specific referents.
Adapted from
William Keyse Rudolph, DMA label copy, 2005.
Fun Facts
- James McNeill Whistler’s Chelsea townhouse, known as the White House, was mere blocks away from the Thames River. He depicted the Thames often and in many media.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
Created c. 1874
July 2005
Rebecca Singerman worked on this note.
Geography: Possibly a view of Battersea Bridge, a common subject of Whistler’s at this time. It was conveniently located to his home in Chelsea.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin and depicted location: London (England): TGN: 7011781
Depicted location: Thames (river): TGN: 7011913
Process/materials
Pastel heightened with bodycolor
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
From 1984: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. Elsbeth Juda, in memory of Betty Marcus
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1984.181
source file
object_notes_2_a-0136.xml.nores