The Sea and Sand

Object Details

• Artist

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

• Label

  The Sea and Sand is one of the simplest and most abstract of the St. Ives paintings. Whistler began by covering his panel with an unusual dark blue ground. Probably working from the top of the panel down, he used broad horizontal strokes of gray to establish the sky. In the foreground, broader horizontal bands of a browner pigment establish the beach. A few narrow strokes of a slightly bluish white create the frothing caps of the breaking waves. The three main horizontal bands are secured by a few shorter verticals that indicate people and by the squat oval of Whistler's famous butterfly monogram.

• Provenance

  To 1902

  Henry Studdy Theobald (1847-1934), London, to 1902 [1]

  From 1902 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Henry Studdy Theobald, London, in August 1902 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Undated folder note sheet, Object file. See also Original Whistler List, Purchases from Theobald, pg. 2, 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

  Whistler in Watercolor (May 18 to November 3, 2019)

  Small Masterpieces: Whistler Paintings from the 1880s (April 2, 2005 to November 11, 2008)

  Mr. Whistler's Galleries: Avant-garde in Victorian London, 1883 (November 20, 2003 to April 4, 2004)

  American Art - James McNeill Whistler (May 9, 1993 to June 30, 1997)

  American Paintings: James McNeill Whistler 1834-1903 (February 6, 1985 to March 4, 1986)

  James McNeill Whistler at the Freer Gallery of Art—Whistler and the Landscape (May 11, 1984 to February 5, 1985)

  American Paintings: James McNeill Whistler (November 11, 1976 to March 18, 1981)

  Whistler—Landscapes and Seascapes (October 14, 1969 to September 25, 1971)

  Whistler Oils Exhibition (January 8, 1925 to January 20, 1928)

  American Paintings by J.A.McN. Whistler (May 2, 1923 to January 8, 1925)

  Inaugural Loan Collection of Paintings (May 31 to July 1, 1905)

  Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler (February 23 to March 22, 1904)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Henry Studdy Theobald (1847-1934) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  United States

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1880s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Theobald, Henry Studdy

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Water, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, American Art, Ocean

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Paintings