1880
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Upright Venice is a 1880 ink by James McNeill Whistler, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a quick, loose view of Venice’s skyline. A few tall buildings and domes line the horizon, with ships and boats scattered in the water below. The sky is filled with fast, wavy lines, like wind or water movement. The whole scene looks rough and sketchy, with lots of empty space around it. The artist used a method called drypoint to scratch into the metal plate, creating thin, fuzzy lines. This technique lets ink fill the grooves, giving the drawing its soft, sketchy feel. Next, check out etching to see how artists like Whistler made prints this way.
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom.
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