Artwork
Savoy Pigeons
Savoy Pigeons is an ink print by the Impressionist artist James McNeill Whistler. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Savoy Pigeons is a 1896 lithograph by James McNeill Whistler, featuring birds on a stone ledge.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts six pigeons on a windowsill, rendered in soft black lines against a pale background, conveying a sense of calm and naturalness.
Technique & Style
Whistler employed lithography, drawing on stone with a greasy crayon, to create subtle tones and loose shapes, characteristic of his printmaking style, which favored refined aesthetic effect over narrative content.
Context
As an advocate of 'art for art's sake', Whistler focused on simple, quiet scenes in his prints, often using lithography to achieve delicate, nuanced effects.
Artist & collection
Artist
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom.
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