Titles

Possible titles include:

• Possibly 'Nocturne, Battersea' (1921, Pennell). 1
• 'Nocturne' (1935, M. H. de Young Museum, San Francisco). 2
• 'Nocturne' (1980, YMSM). 3

'Nocturne' is the preferred title.

Description

Nocturne, Indianapolis Museum of Art

A riverscape in horizontal format. Factories, chimneys and spoil heaps are visible on the distant river bank, and a small boat or lighter on the river, by the near-shore, towards the lower right. A few leaves are seen at the lower right edge.

Site

Nocturne, Indianapolis Museum of Art

Nocturne in Blue and Silver, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard

Battersea, seen from the Chelsea side of the river Thames. It is a similar view to that seen in Nocturne in Blue and Silver [YMSM 113], but with variations, the spire being omitted, and a large building with a dome replacing it.

Comments

Walter Greaves (1846-1930) undoubtedly painted comparable views of Battersea Reach Nocturne [YMSM 114], and it had been considered that this painting could have been by him, but it does appear to be a genuine, if repainted, work by Whistler.