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

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M.1330
Design for a poster for 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces'

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1892
Collection: Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Accession Number: FGA 89
Medium: dark brown ink
Support: cream laid paper, watermark of coronet over 'CL/ ORIGINAL DELTA/ FINE'
Size: 6 7/8 x 4 5/16" (174 x 110 mm)
Signature: none
Inscription: 'For the Poster/ Should like it reproduced without reversing -' by Whistler; envelope inscribed by T. R. Way, 'Goupil Poster Sketch'.
print

Design for a poster for 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces'

Description

Design for a poster for 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces', Freer Gallery of ARt
Design for a poster for 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces', Freer Gallery of ARt

A large butterfly, developed from Whistler's initials 'JW', and having a barbed tail, is set on a trefoil (which in its turn was based on the initials of his wife Beatrice Philip (Mrs E. W. Godwin, Mrs J. McN. Whistler) (1857-1896) ('BP' for Birnie Philip).

Last updated: 3rd March 2021 by Margaret