Symbolism & Aestheticism · 1834–1903 · American
James McNeill Whistler
Whistler titled paintings like music, symphonies, nocturnes and arrangements, to put color harmony ahead of subject. Ruskin accused him of flinging a pot of paint in the public's face; Whistler sued him in 1878 and won a farthing in damages.
Across 4 works, the colors are mostly brown (39%), blue (24%) and gray (12%). On average the canvases are mid-toned, moderately saturated and warm. Signature colors, used far more here than across the collection: light muted blue, pale muted blue, light teal azure, teal azure and very dark muted green.
Color print
The swatches covering most of these canvases, averaged over every work, dark to light.
- MG 218 graphite 8.6% of canvas
- MG 094 light muted blue 8.2% of canvas
- MG 180 pale sand 6.2% of canvas
- MG 174 warm grey 5.6% of canvas
- MG 222 charcoal 4.9% of canvas
- MG 093 pale muted blue 4.0% of canvas
- MG 177 dark taupe 3.9% of canvas
- MG 059 dark muted lime green 3.8% of canvas
- MG 171 bone 3.6% of canvas
- MG 060 dark muted green 3.5% of canvas
- MG 181 light sand 3.4% of canvas
- MG 061 very dark muted green 3.3% of canvas
- MG 172 oatmeal 3.1% of canvas
- MG 219 bistre 2.7% of canvas
- MG 220 warm black 2.6% of canvas
- MG 096 muted azure blue 2.3% of canvas
Measurements
Composition
Averaged over 4 works: 53% of the visual weight in the left half, 56% in the lower half; symmetry 0.30; 63% calm space; half of the detail in 26% of the canvas. Measured from each image, not a rule the painters followed.