Quiet Canal, Whistler charcoal drawing

A dark, smudged charcoal drawing on brown-toned paper shows a vertical, dimly lit structure with a central tower-like form, flanked by blurred masses of shadow. Faint light marks the upper sky and water edges, suggesting a nocturnal canal scene.

Artist

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

Date

1879-1880

Medium

Charcoal (?) on buff paper

Source

Smithsonian (National Museum of Asian Art)

Size

1537 × 2479 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Asian Art