Nocturne in Blue and Gold: Valparaiso

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At A Glance

On View
  • Period

    1866-ca. 1874
  • Geography

    United States
  • Material

    Oil on canvas
  • Dimension

    H x W: 76.4 x 50.7 cm (30 1/16 x 19 15/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1909.127a-b
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1909.127a-b

Object Details

  • Artist

    James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Capt. Henry Hill (1818-1882)
    Alexander Ionides (1840-1898)
    Sir John Charles Day (1826-1908)
    George McCulloch (1848-1907)
    Mrs. George McCulloch
    Wallis and Son, The French Gallery (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Provenance

    Capt. Henry Hill (1818-1882), Brighton, England, purchased from the artist [1]
    From 1889
    Alexander Ionides (1840-1898), London, purchased at auction, Christie's, May 25, 1889, no. 80, "Nocturne in Blue and Silver Valparaiso" [2]
    From 1892
    Sir John Charles Day, purchased in May 1892 [3]
    From between 1895-1897
    George McCulloch (1848-1907), British, purchased between 1895-1897 [4]
    From 1907
    Mrs. George McCulloch, by bequest from her husband, George McCulloch, in 1907 [5]
    To 1909
    Wallis and Son, The French Gallery, London, to 1909 [6]
    From 1909 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Wallis and Son, The French Gallery, through D. Croal Thomson, in 1909 [7]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [8]
    Notes:
    [1] According to Curatorial Remark 3, S. Hobbs, 1977, in the object record, this painting was purchased from Whistler by Captain Henry Hill of Brighton. Upon Hill's death, it was sold at auction at Christie's, May 25, 1889, as no. 80, "Nocturne in Blue and Silver Valparaiso," to Alexander Ionides. It was then sold in May of 1892 to Sir John Day, and subsequently bought by George McCulloch, sometime between 1895 and 1897. It was bequeathed to McCulloch's widow on December 12, 1907. In July 1909, Charles Lang Freer purchased the painting from Wallis and Son, London, through D. Croal Thomson.
    [2] See note 1.
    [3] See note 1.
    [4] See note 1.
    [5] See note 1.
    [6] See List of Whistler Purchases since Making up the Smithsonian Inventory, pg. 12, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
    [7] See note 6.
    [8] 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.
  • Origin

    United States
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Painting
  • On View

    Freer Gallery 11: A Perfect Harmony
  • Restrictions and Rights

    CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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