Beach Scene

James McNeill Whistler, probably 1885

The image shows an aerial view of a sandy terrain with a horizon line separating the sky from a strip of water where there is a dark shape resembling a ship. The brushstrokes are soft, creating a blurred effect. The color palette is mainly sandy beiges and taupes with darker spots indicating people and structures dispersed across the area. Human figures are mostly silhouettes. In the distance, there is a suggestion of a building and clusters of people. The tones of the building blend with the surroundings, directing focus towards the distant clusters of activity.
Artist
James McNeill Whistler
Date
probably 1885
Type
Drawing
Medium
watercolor and traces of gouache on off-white paper mounted on paperboard
Dimensions
12.6 × 21.2 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

The image shows an aerial view of a sandy terrain with a horizon line separating the sky from a strip of water where there is a dark shape resembling a ship. The brushstrokes are soft, creating a blurred effect. The color palette is mainly sandy beiges and taupes with darker spots indicating people and structures dispersed across the area. Human figures are mostly silhouettes. In the distance, there is a suggestion of a building and clusters of people. The tones of the building blend with the surroundings, directing focus towards the distant clusters of activity.

James McNeill Whistler