Sketch for Nocturne in Blue and Gold Valparaiso Bay 1866

This sketch, created in 1866 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, is a study for his famous painting "Nocturne in Blue and Gold - Valparaiso Bay". Whistler was known for his Nocturnes, paintings that capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere in a shadowy and dreamlike way. The sketch shows a harbor scene with a ship at anchor, with the foreground dominated by a sloping shoreline and the distant shore outlined against the evening sky. The use of muted colors and soft, atmospheric brushwork are characteristic of Whistler's style, reflecting his interest in capturing the beauty of fleeting moments and the evocative power of color.