Nocturne, from the "Twelve Etchings" or the "First Venice Set" / James McNeill Whistler

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Record Details

Accession Number
1954/1.372
Title
Nocturne, from the "Twelve Etchings" or the "First Venice Set"
Artist Nationality
American
Artist Life Dates
1834-1903
Object Creation Date
1879-1880
Object Creation Place
North America
American
Creation Place 1
North America
Creation Place 2
American
Style/Group/Movement
Aesthetic Movement
Inscription
Signed, in pencil on tab, l.l.: Butterfly monogram Collector's mark on verso, l.r.: J.H.L. LeSecq. Lugt 1336
Dimensions
20.5 cm x 29.3 cm (8 1/16 in. x 11 9/16 in.)
Century
19th century
Primary Object Classification
Print
Primary Object Type
intaglio print
Physical Description
This is a nighttime view of a city on water. Along the horizon can be seen numerous buildings and ships. At center left is a three-masted ship at anchor; along the right side are buildings, incuding domes and a tall tower. Throughout the image, there is an importance given to reflections and the nocturnal setting.
Subject Matter
Whistler frequently employed plate tone to evoke the rich humidity of Venice's climate. This image showing a large ship at anchor in the mouth of the Grand Canal conveys the palpable atmosphere of nighttime in Venice.
Prior to Whistler's adoption of "artistic wiping" of the plates, such use of plate tone would have been the mark of someone not proficient in printing techniques. Whistler varied the inking of this plate, in particular, such that impressions are essentially monoprints. However, use of plate tone became more broadly embraced and the Venice prints became among the most sought after of his etchings.
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
1067 x 763
File Size
62 KB
Record
1954/1.372
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1954-sl-1.372/1954_1.372.jpg

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Manifest
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1954-SL-1.372:1954_1.372.JPG

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Full citation
"Nocturne, from the "Twelve Etchings" or the "First Venice Set"; James McNeill Whistler." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1954-sl-1.372/1954_1.372.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 10, 2024.
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