Thames Map: Works Thames Map: Walks Polluted Landscapes Tate Boat

Chelsea

A solitary figure stands by the Thames at Battersea, looking towards Chelsea; a low barge rests near the shore. The square tower of Chelsea Old Church is visible to the right. But Whistler's aim was not to describe the details of a particular place; he wanted to 'indicate an artistic interest alone, divesting the picture of any outside anecdotal interest which might have been otherwise attached to it'.

This is Whistler's first Nocturne. The restricted palette and simplified design reflect the influence of Japanese prints, and Turner's watercolours of the Swiss Lakes, shown in room 4.

James McNeill Whistler Nocturne: Blue and Silver - Chelsea 1871
Oil on wood. Tate. Bequeathed by Miss Rachel and Miss Jean Alexander 1972

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