Nocturne by James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903)

Medium

lithograph on chine collé

Dimensions

{"sheet":{"height":0.171,"width":0.26}}

Classification

Print

Department

Prints

Museum

Cleveland Museum of Art

Credit

Bequest of Charles T. Brooks

Accession Number

1941.89

Tags

male

About this artwork

Whistler was the first to borrow musical terms for the titles of his works of art. In 1872, he defined painting as "the exact correlative of music, as vague, as purely emotional, as released from all functions of representation." Whistler’s use of musical terminology was meant to convey the supremacy of color, line, and form over subject matter in his art. The title Nocturne was suggested by the artist’s patron, Frederick Leyland, an enthusiastic amateur pianist who was especially fond of Chopin...

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