The Seashore

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)

• Origin

  United States

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1880s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, William Marchant & Co.

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Boats and boating, Art, Iron oxide red, Bone black, Zinc white, Beaches, Cerulean blue, Mounting, Yellow ocher, Charles Lang Freer collection, Mars pigment, American Art, Raw sienna, Cloud, Seascape, Strontium chromate, Ocean, Prussian blue, Burnt sienna

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Paintings