This painting shows a waterfront with boats and buildings in the distance. The shadowy horizon line divides the composition between the gray sky and gray water. The distant shore features faint outlines of buildings. Closer to us, boats are anchored with their masts tied up, creating lines against the sky. The sails and rigging are painted in earthy colors. At the bottom of the painting, shadowy shapes that may be the silhouettes of people appear to walk across a path or bridge. Most of the painting is in shades of gray, and the brushstrokes are soft and translucent, giving the painting a…
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Grey and Silver: Chelsea Wharf

James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834 - 1903)

c. 1864/1868

Medium
oil on canvas
Classification
Painting
Dimensions
overall: 61 × 46 cm (24 × 18 1/8 in.) ; framed: 83.19 × 67.63 × 8.89 cm (32 3/4 × 26 5/8 × 3 1/2 in.)
Culture
American
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CAB
Credit line
Widener Collection
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art

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