Works Of Notable Artist Whistler On Display At Forsyth Galleries

Texas A&M University Art Galleries’ latest exhibition is An American in Venice: James McNeill Whistler and His Legacy, featuring etchings from the famous artist.

The exhibition, organized by the Syracuse University Art Collection, runs through April 2 at the Forsyth Galleries in the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M campus.

In September of 1879, Whistler, the American expatriate artist, arrived in Venice with a modest commission from the Fine Art Society of London to produce a set of 12 etchings over a period of three months.

In the end, the artist would remain in Venice not just for a season but for 14 months, returning to London having executed not 12, but more than 50 prints and producing a powerful new vision of Venice for contemporary artists and viewers. The nature of Whistler’s achievement, and the influence of his vision, is the subject of this exhibition.

The artist is perhaps best known for the painting “Whistler’s Mother.” His story in Venice is the tale of his fall from grace, his exile, and his triumphant redemption. During his 14 months in the city, the artist produced a body of prints that are among the most important of his career. The prints from Whistler’s Venice period are distinguished by the artist’s original approach to capturing the unique qualities of the canaled city and his innovative use of the etching process.

This exhibit presents 11 prints by Whistler, placing them alongside the work of followers who were practicing in Italy in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

Forsyth is located on the second floor of the MSC; admission is always free.

Gallery hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday–Friday: 9 a.m.–8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: noon–6 p.m.