Long Venice, 1879-80
James Abbott McNeill Whistlerexpand_more
Etching and drypoint printed on antique laid paperexpand_more
Gift of John and Laura Taftexpand_more 2018.128.1
Not on Viewexpand_more
James McNeill Whistler’s panorama shows Venice in mirror image, meaning the he working on his etching plate just as though he was sketching on the spot. To the left we see the Doge’s palace and to the right of center a hazy suggestion of the domes of Santa Maria della Salute. Tiny gondolas traverse the lagoon. The sky is filled with sweeping and billowing clouds. Whistler left the watery foreground blank, except for his stylized butterfly signature at lower left. A small tab of paper descends from the lower edge of the sheet. On it, drawn in pencil, is a simplified version of the butterfly.
Details
- Title
- Long Venice
- Artist Life
- 1834–1903
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2018.128.1
- Provenance
- Robert Taft (1889-1953, Cincinnati and Washington, D.C.); by descent to John Taft, Minneapolis; given to MIA, 2018.
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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