Venetian Canal

In 1879, Whistler escaped financial and reputational scandal in London for Venice. Commissioned by the Fine Arts Society in London to make twelve etchings of Venetian subjects, Whistler ultimately produced some fifty etchings, in addition to around twelve oils and some hundred pastels, over a period of fourteen months. In this drawing of an isolated canal, Whistler adapts the tradition of vedute (precisely rendered views of a city’s principal sites) to tucked away scenes. Here, the unidentified canal conveys his preference for lesser known, yet quintessential Venetian sites. The treatment of the subject demonstrates a particular method the artist pioneered during his stay, first outlining his subject in black, then adding touches of color to bring the scene to life. Here, details in green, red, and blue evoke shutters on windows and the budding leaves of early spring trees.