Nocturne: Palaces

Nocturne: Palaces — James Abbott McNeill Whistler. 1879/80.

Medium: Etching and drypoint in black, with selective wiping of plate tone, on ivory laid paper. Dimensions: Image, trimmed within platemark: 29.7 × 20 cm (11 3/4 × 7 7/8 in.); Sheet, with signature tab: 30.7 × 20.1 cm (12 1/8 × 7 15/16 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

In developing this image, Whistler exploited plate tone (ink left on the unetched surface of the copper plate) to an extraordinary degree. Etched and incised drypoint lines were used as a framework for painterly inking and wiping of the plate, which allowed for endlessly varied impressions. In fact, each example of Nocturne: Palaces is different, conveying distinctive interpretations of light, darkness, and atmosphere. The impressions represent different states (second and eleventh); ink colors (black and brownish black); and wiping (inky at top and bottom and more nuanced overall plate tone). The earlier, more dramatic impression emphasizes architectural details and the velvety darkness of sky and water, while in the later example building facades are cloaked in mist and the dampness of a Venetian night is palpable.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.