Campo Sta. Marta—Winter Evening

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) · 1879-1880

Several progressive reviewers defended the sketchiness of Whistler's Venice pastels. Writing in the British Architect, E. W. Godwin admitted that "some of the drawings at first sight look like slight scribbles in blue, white, and black on brown or grey paper, just as if made in a moment to jot down a passing effect," but insisted that what appears "slight is the evident outcome of much thought, the scribble has no scribbling in it, and the colour is often attained by interweaving other colours, and breaking it all in lovely though measured spray over the brown or grey ground."