Titles

Whistler's original title is not known. Only one title is known, with minor variations in language and punctuation:

• 'La Mer; Bretagne' (1905, Œuvres de James McNeill Whistler, Paris). 1
• 'The Sea – Brittany' (1935, Glasgow University). 2
• The Sea, Brittany (1980, YMSM). 3

The Sea, Brittany is the accepted title, translated from the original French and with punctuation edited for consistency in the 1980 catalogue.

Description

The Sea, Brittany, The Hunterian

A small seascape in horizontal format. The sea is a rich dark blue, the sky pale greenish blue, turquoise and blue with pale grey and lilac fluffy clouds. Seven small sailing boats, possibly fishing boats, are seen on the horizon.

Site

It is assumed from the title that this was painted in Brittany, France.

It has also been assumed that The Sea, Brittany was painted in the autumn of 1888 when Whistler and his wife Beatrice were on their honeymoon. In August they were in Boulogne. They travelled down the Loire, visited Loches, Bourges, Tours and possibly Nantes, and could have visited southern Brittany.

Although they were also in Brittany in the late summer of 1893, visiting Lannion, Paimpol, and Perros Guirec, it is less likely that this work dates from that trip.