The Angry Sea 1884

James Abbott McNeill Whistler created "The Angry Sea" as an oil on panel painting. The title itself is interesting: a calm sea is what we see, and one might wonder if the title is less descriptive and more metaphorical. Whistler was an American artist working in Europe, and was an active participant in debates about art institutions and the importance of aestheticism. The hazy atmosphere of the painting evokes the style of the French Barbizon school, whose focus on landscape was a direct challenge to the dominance of history painting in the French academy. There is very little detail in the image, giving it an ephemeral and dreamlike quality. The horizon line cuts the panel roughly in half, which emphasizes flatness. It might be interesting to research the relationship between Whistler's aestheticism and the rise of art galleries as commercial spaces, and his involvement in the formation of groups such as the New English Art Club that challenged the status quo in British art. By looking into these aspects of Whistler's practice, we might better understand his motivations and intentions.