Violet [Note?]...The Return of the Fishing Boats

James McNeill Whistler, c. 1885

This painting shows a tan beach with four people looking out towards a calm sea. The people are painted with small blotches of black, red, blue, and gray paint. Far from the shore, sailboats can be seen on the water near the high horizon line, where the gray-blue water blends in with a blue sky filled with soft, diffused clouds. The brushstrokes are light and fluid, painting the different shapes with little detail. The off-white paper below is visible in many places.
Artist
James McNeill Whistler
Date
c. 1885
Type
Drawing
Medium
watercolor on paperboard
Dimensions
21.2 × 12.7 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

This painting shows a tan beach with four people looking out towards a calm sea. The people are painted with small blotches of black, red, blue, and gray paint. Far from the shore, sailboats can be seen on the water near the high horizon line, where the gray-blue water blends in with a blue sky filled with soft, diffused clouds. The brushstrokes are light and fluid, painting the different shapes with little detail. The off-white paper below is visible in many places.

James McNeill Whistler