Accession Number
1954/1.386

Title
San Giorgio, One of the 'Twenty-six Etchings,' or the 'Second Venice Set'

Artist(s)
James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1879-1880

Medium & Support
etching, printed in dark brown ink on laid paper, trimmed to platemark

Dimensions
8 1/4 in. x 12 in. ( 20.9 cm x 30.5 cm )

Credit Line
Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker

Subject matter
The subject of the "Nocturne" from the "First Venice Set" is seen here in a daytime view. The Palladian church of San Giorgio Maggiore sits on an island in the Venetian lagoon opposite the Doges Palace, making it one of the principal attractions in central Venice. Whistler usually shied away from depicting the major monuments of Venice, and when he did he often showed the site from an unusual vantage point; in this instance he restricted himself to allowing the reversal typical in etching to suffice in providing a different view of the famous church.

Physical Description
Ships at anchor in a lagoon is the focus of this image. Smaller boats are tied to the quay in the foreground and along the horizon line is a cityscape, leading to a large church at the left, with an impressive facade, dome, and bell tower behind. A large ship is moored between the viewer and the church. Much of the foreground is occupied by water without boats, leaving the elements of the composition largely in the middle distance.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Cityscapes
San Giorgio Maggiore
Venice
boats
buildings
churches (buildings)
seascapes
ships
water