Sunsets in Venice: Whistler's Private Art
Jen Om, Princeton Class of 2009I learned to know a Venice in Venice that the others never seem to have perceived. - James McNeil Whistler
When Whistler first set off to Venice, he did not expect to find what he did. His sole purpose was to make money, to become economically efficient and to produce etchings in order to make an income. Yet somehow he ended up with more than 100 pastels along with his etchings (Grieve, 14). The progress of his etchings was hindered by the harsh winter, and Whistler turned to pastels to capture the brilliant color of the sunsets. Being in such a dire situation, Whistler planned to sell the pastels he sketched, as he measured and ordered frames for several of them (MacDonald, Palaces 56).
Although Whistler did sell his pastels along with his completed set of etchings, his course of action might have been different if he was not in such desperate need of money. His etchings were the primary purpose for Venice, but the city’s distinctive aura became a muse for the artist as he took up pastels to capture the color he saw and the moods he felt. Whistler’s inexperience with pastels is shown through his technique, but eventually evolved to depict the color he could not show in etchings. The pastels for Whistler were not an initial priority, but rather an artist’s foray into an unknown medium. This shows that even though his trip to Venice was initially purely business, Whistler found in the city’s unique settings the colors and moments of sunsets that inspired him to make pastels for his own enjoyment and personal development as an artist, not for a business profit, even though they were eventually sold later on (MacDonald, Palaces 58).
The Exhibit
Hard Times in Venice
Early Works
Late Works and Progress
Business Prospect?
Whistler's Private Vision
Works Cited
About the Author
The Gallery
Whistler's Biography
Whistler's Etchings in Venice
Whistler's Other Pastels from Venice
Pastel Vocabulary
