Composition

It was probably drawn as an illustration for the book by James McNeill Whistler, Eden versus Whistler: The Baronet and the Butterfly. A Valentine with a Verdict, Paris: Louis-Henry May, 1899, but not used.

Technique

The chequered pattern appears to have been a sign of mourning, used by Whistler in memory of his late wife Beatrice Philip (Mrs E. W. Godwin, Mrs J. McN. Whistler) (1857-1896).

Conservation History

The card may be from the same sheet as A club on a cushion [M.1564]. It has rough edges at top and right; and pinholes at both right hand corners, and, well in from the side, upper left.