Grey and Green – Dordrecht probably dates from 1884, and was exhibited in 1889.
Grey and Green – Dordrecht, Private Collection
It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 973).
Grey and Green – Dordrecht, Private Collection
The New York Herald on 2 March 1889 described it as 'a delightful river scene by Dortrecht, with boats and windmills.'
Grey and Green – Dordrecht, Private Collection
It was probably painted from Boudier's Hotel Bellevue in Dordrecht, where Whistler stayed in 1884, or from the nearby towngate (the Groothoofdspoort). Dordrecht is in the Netherlands, and was a busy, bustling port. The viewpoint facess Papendrecht, with the northern branch of the Merwede to left, and the lower reaches of the same river to right. 1
Grey and Green – Dordrecht, Private Collection
The colour is subtle, with beige and grey applied in freely flowing brush-strokes for sky and sea. Along the waterside, spiky, brittle strokes of bright green were interspersed with the grey of ships and red-roofed buildings.
New York Herald, 2 March 1889, mentioned it as 'Also worthy of particular attention ... a delightful river scene by Dortrecht, with boats and windmills.'
1: Heijbroek 1997 [more], p. 55.