James McNeill Whistler Grey and Green: A Shop in Brittany

Date c.1888
Materials Watercolour on cotton laid down on card
Dimensions 14.5 cm x 22.4 cm
Marks Inscribed in an unknown hand on the verso: "(103) / 42"; stamped: "E. MARY & FILS / 26 RUE CHAPTAL, PARIS".
Further information GLAHA 46132.
Margaret F. MacDonald, James McNeill Whistler: Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours: A Catalogue Raisonne, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1995 (1188).

Note Whistler was attracted to painting shop fronts because their doors and windows formed interesting visual patterns and colour contrasts. Notice how in this watercolour he balanced the shapes and colours of the dark interior with the pale green of the woodwork and the pale yellow of the walls, giving a subtle, harmonious effect. Look how he varied his technique. Some shapes are outlined (cobbles) and some are painted around (left window frame). Some areas are painted thickly, with several layers of paint (road) and some with thin washes (wall). Notice that the centre is more finished and includes details such as the little child standing gazing into the shop, the plant pots on the balcony and the shopkeeper in the interior. Can you tell what kind of shop it is from the shapes hanging in the window and the objects in the doorway and propped against the wall?