Detail from The Canal, Amsterdam, 1889, James McNeill Whistler, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

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M.0114
'Christmas comes but once a year.' (Thomas Wilson's autograph book, p. 33)

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1852
Collection: United States Military Academy, West Point, NY
Accession Number: Wilson, Thomas, 1832-1901, USMA 1853, CU # 1607
Medium: pen, black ink, and pencil
Support: white wove paper in album
Size: 7 11/16 x 6 1/8" (196 x 156 mm)
Signature: 'J. Whistler'
Inscription: ' "Christmas comes but once a year." '
print

'Christmas comes but once a year.' (Thomas Wilson's autograph book, p. 33)

Provenance

  • 1852: drawn in a book belonging to Thomas Wilson (1832-1901);
  • 1901: passed by family descent to a private owner;
  • 1924: offered for sale through Switzler, Ringer, Switzer and Shackleford, Omaha, Nebraska, to Joseph Pennell (1860-1926).
  • By 1972: private collector, Long Island;
  • 1972: bought by the United States Military Academy, West Point on 12 July 1972, with a grant from the West Point Fund.

For further details see MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 112).

Exhibitions

As far as is known, it was not exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.

Last updated: 11th March 2021 by Margaret