A Street in Venice

Object Details

• Artist

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

• Label

  The bare tree leaning over the wall on the right together with the very limited range of color, suggest that this drawing was completed during the winter of 1879–80, near the beginning of Whistler's fourteen month stay in Venice. Whistler used bright whites and the palest blues and pinks to suggest the snapping of drying laundry on a cold day. The pastel is unsigned and probably was not included in the 1881 Fine Art Society exhibition.

• Provenance

  To 1904

  P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., London, to 1904 [1]

  From 1904 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from P. & D. Colnaghi & Co. in 1904 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Whistler List, Paintings, pg. 25, 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 Venice: The Pastels (January 19 to June 15, 2003)

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

  Whistler Pastels and Water Colors (July 1 to July 31, 1974)

  Whistler Pastels and Drawings, Re-arranged and some additions (January 7, 1924 to January 20, 1944)

  Exposition des Oeuvres de James McNeill Whistler (May 1905)

• Previous custodian or owner

  P. & D. Colnaghi (established 1760) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  United States

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Drawing

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1880s, 1870s

• Name

  P. & D. Colnaghi, Freer, Charles Lang

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, American Art

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Drawings