Nocturne: San Giorgio

A dim nocturnal sketch in chalk and pastel on brown paper shows a row of dark boat hulls with raised prows and thin masts rising into a pale blue-grey sky. Soft smudged shading dissolves the forms toward the top edge, while sharp lines outline the bows and rigging in the foreground.

Artist

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

Date

1880

Medium

Chalk and pastel on brown paper

Source

Smithsonian (National Museum of Asian Art)

Size

4000 × 2768 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Asian Art