Violet and Silver—The Deep Sea
James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903)1893
View the original$29
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Materials & printing
Archival matte paper, 189 g/m² (10.3 mil), sourced from Japan, printed with multicolor water-based inkjet so every brushstroke stays crisp. Framed prints arrive ready to hang in a .75″ ayous-wood frame with an acrylite front. Sized to standard frames by cropping, never stretching — at most about 3% comes off one edge, which isn’t noticeable on most pieces, and we only offer a size when it stays that small.
Shipping & returns
Made to order and delivered in 5–8 business days (2–4 to print, 3–4 in transit). US shipping only for now. Because each print is made for your order, all sales are final — but if it arrives damaged or defective, send us a photo within 14 days and we’ll replace it free. Full policy.
Why is it this affordable?
A thin, flat margin on every piece — just enough to keep the store running. Most of what you pay is the print itself. We only sell sizes that reproduce at full quality, and we don’t mark up the large sizes the way most shops do.
About this work
After years of painting seascapes on a significantly smaller scale, James McNeill Whistler returned briefly to a large-format canvas to capture a hot summer day on the water near Brittany, France. The artist likely painted this seascape while boating off the coast as a crewman steadied their vessel. This could account for the unusually broad handling of paint and thick touches of pigment apparent throughout the composition, particularly in the clouds and gently cresting waves. Here, Whistler demonstrated his enduring passion for the myriad relationships of color offered by the ever-changing sea.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Original size
- 50.2 × 73.3 cm (19 3/4 × 28 7/8 in.)
Museum record · 2 owners · 1 exhibition
Provenance
- James McNeill Whistler, London and Paris, 1893; sold to John A. Lynch (1853–1938), Chicago, 1894; bequeathed to his wife, Clara Margaret Lynch (1872–1954), Chicago, 1938.
- Estate of Clara Margaret Lynch, Chicago, 1954; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1955.
Exhibitions
- London, Tate Gallery, James McNeill Whistler, Nov. 12, 1994–Jan. 8, 1995; Paris, Musee d'Orsay, Feb. 6–Apr. 30, 1995, Washington DC, National Gallery of Art, May 29–Aug. 20, 1995.
