UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

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Nocturne: Salute

Impression: Hunterian Art Gallery
Hunterian Art Gallery
(46886)
Number: 203
Date: 1879/1880
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 155 x 230 mm
Signed: butterfly at lower left (3-final)
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 10
Known impressions: 14
Catalogues: K.226; M.223; W.199
Impressions taken from this plate  (14)

KEYWORD

church, customs-house, gondola, lagoon, nocturne, sea, ship, shipping.

TITLE

Variations on the title are as follows:


'Nocturne Salute' (1883, F.A.S.). 1
'Salute Nocturne' (1886? Whistler). 2
'Nocturne - Salute' (1886, Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921)). 3
'Nocturne Salute' (1887/1888, Whistler). 4
'Nocturne: Salute' (1909, Howard Mansfield (1849-1938)). 5


Beatrice Whistler (1857-1896) listed several etchings with similar titles: 'Nocturne - Salute // Nocturne - Salute // [?] Salute - Nocturne, Venice // Salute, Dawn'. 6 This shows the problems in identifying the title and history of similar subjects. The next problem in this case is whether or no to include punctuation. 'Nocturne: Salute' has been preferred, as more consistent with other titles.

1: London FAS 1883 (cat. no. 43).

2: List of 'Venice 2nd Series', [1877-1903], GUW #13088.

3: Wedmore 1886 A (cat. no. 199).

4: List, [1887/1888], GUW #13233.

5: Mansfield 1909 (cat. no. 223).

6: List, [1890/1892], GUW #12715.

DESCRIPTION

A view across the water to the dome and cupolas of Santa Maria della Salute, and to right of them, the Dogana, surmounted by a globe. There is shipping in the distance at right, and a gondola in the middle distance at right. There are buildings and shipping in the distance at left and a pier or jetty at lower left. Everything is indistinct, and all the buildings and ships are reflected in the water.

SITE

A view of the Dogana customs house and Santa Maria della Salute from the bay, in Venice, Italy. The Grand Canal is at left, the Giudecca at right (in reverse - actually the Giudecca is at left and Grand Canal to right).

DISCUSSION

This is one of several Venetian Nocturnes including Nocturne Shipping [206], Nocturne [222], Nocturne: Palaces [200] and Nocturne: Furnace [208]. It is one of the most ghostly, misty and atmospheric of his works.