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Cremorne Gardens, No. 2

ca. 1870–80
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 768
Whistler, the progressive expatriate painter, is associated with the "art for art’s sake" philosophy, which privileged artistic form over content. Yet his subjects were often as radical as his ethereal color harmonies. In this so-called nocturne, depicing London’s Cremorne Gardens (near his Chelsea home-studio), Whistler explored the theme of modern life embraced by many of his European associates, especially the French Impressionists. An elegant, manicured park that drew fashionable strollers during the day, the gardens at night became a site for lively music, dancing, and fireworks, frequented by a broader range of classes.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cremorne Gardens, No. 2
  • Artist: James McNeill Whistler (American, Lowell, Massachusetts 1834–1903 London)
  • Date: ca. 1870–80
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 27 x 53 1/8 in. (68.6 x 134.9 cm)
  • Credit Line: John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1912
  • Object Number: 12.32
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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4587. Cremorne Gardens, No. 2

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More Artwork

More Artwork
Nocturne: Palaces, James McNeill Whistler American, Etching and drypoint; printed in dark brown ink on drum mounted medium weight ivory laid paper.
Nocturne: Palaces
James McNeill Whistler
1879–80
Vase with cornstalks, Tiffany Studios, Porcelaneous earthenware, American
Vase with cornstalks
Tiffany Studios
ca. 1904–05
George Washington, Gilbert Stuart American, Oil on canvas, American
George Washington
Gilbert Stuart
begun 1795
Flight Into Egypt, Henry Ossawa Tanner American, Oil on canvas, American
Flight Into Egypt
Henry Ossawa Tanner
1923
Nocturne (Nocturne: The Thames at Battersea), James McNeill Whistler American, Lithotint with scraping on a prepared half-tint ground, printed in soft gray-black ink on pale blue laid chine mounted on ivory wove plate paper; second state of two (Chicago)
Nocturne (Nocturne: The Thames at Battersea)
James McNeill Whistler
1878

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