Red and Gold: Salute, Sunset 1880

James McNeill Whistler created this pastel drawing titled "Red and Gold: Salute, Sunset" to capture the atmospheric effects of the Venetian lagoon. Venice, in the late 19th century, became a popular destination for artists seeking new subjects and escaping the rigid academic traditions of institutions like the Paris Salon. Whistler's choice of pastels and his focus on fleeting atmospheric effects reflect the influence of Japonism and the growing interest in capturing subjective experiences rather than objective reality. His emphasis on color and tone over precise representation challenged the prevailing artistic norms. We can see he self-consciously critiqued those norms by titling his works with musical terms like "nocturne" and "harmony," emphasizing their aesthetic qualities over narrative content. To better understand Whistler’s artistic choices, we can look into the history of the Royal Academy, or the writings of critics like John Ruskin who debated the value of Whistler's art in the context of Victorian society.