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Portraits, Pastels, Prints: Whistler in The Frick Collection 
June 2 through August 23, 2009

	James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), Symphony in Grey and Green: The Ocean, 1866, oil on canvas, The Frick Collection

Symphony in Grey and Green:
The Ocean

Whistler painted this work during a six-month stay in Valparaiso, Chile, then the site of a military conflict with Spain. The ships in the picture may allude to the blockade of the port city, but all specificity of time and place is suppressed in favor of a serene palette and minimalist composition.

To render the rolling waters of the Pacific, Whistler dragged his brush from one side of the canvas to the other, creating long ribbons of muted tones. The imprint of the brush’s bristles in the paint enhances the illusion of a rippling sea. Only later, probably in 1872, did he add the leafy branches and the cartouche that contains his butterfly monogram. These motifs, which also appear in the portrait of Mrs. Leyland, derive from Japanese woodblock prints. The wave pattern on the resurfaced frame most likely replicates Whistler’s original design.

See the video podcast by Curatorial Assistant Joanna Sheers.

Introduction to the Exhibition

James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903)

The Paintings
Whistler's Working Method

Symphony in Grey and Green: The Ocean
Podcast | Video

Symphony in Flesh Colour and Pink: Portrait of Mrs Frances Leyland
Podcast | Video

Arrangement in Brown and Black: Portrait of Miss Rosa Corder
Podcast | Video

Harmony in Pink and Grey: Portrait of Lady Meux
Podcast | Video

Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac
Podcast | Video

Pastels and Prints: Whistler in Venice
Pastels
Etchings

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