An American in Venice: James McNeill Whistler and His Legacy
Jan. 17–April 2, 2023
Forsyth Galleries | Memorial Student Center, MSC 2428
Organized by the Syracuse University Art Collection
In September of 1879, the American expatriate artist James McNeill Whistler arrived in Venice with a modest commission from the Fine Art Society of London to produce a set of 12 etchings over a period of three months. In the end, the artist would remain in Venice not just for a season but for 14 months, returning to London having executed not 12 but more than 50 prints and producing a powerful new vision of Venice for contemporary artists and viewers. The nature of Whistler’s achievement, and the influence of his vision, is the subject of this exhibition.
The story of Whistler in Venice is the tale of his fall from grace, his exile, and his triumphant redemption. During his 14 months in the city, the artist produced a body of prints that are among the most important of his career. The prints from Whistler’s Venice period are distinguished by the artist’s original approach to capturing the unique qualities of the canaled city and his innovative use of the etching process.
This exhibit presents 11 prints by Whistler, placing them alongside the work of followers who were practicing in Italy in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. The juxtaposition of these works allows the viewer to appreciate both Whistler’s innovations and the different ways in which his work affected the artists who followed him. While artists such as John Marin are well known today, and Mortimer Menpes and Joseph Pennell still enjoy a modicum of fame, other artists in this exhibit, like Minna Bolingbroke, have faded. Whistler’s legacy lies in his far-reaching vision for both his medium and his subject, which has made his art significant for a remarkably broad range of colleagues.
Inside the Exhibition
