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

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M.1582
Plan of a panel of pictures for the ISSPG

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1899
Collection: Tate Archive, London
Accession Number: 72-45/295
Medium: pencil
Support: cream laid paper, watermark ‘Imperial Century’
Size: 227 x 176 mm (9 x 6 7/8")
Signature: letter signed ‘J. McN. Whistler’
Inscription: "Forbes’ sea piece // Oval / Cowan’s shop Nocturne / Oval // Phryne / Cigale"; '931' and '37' in unknown hands
print

Plan of a panel of pictures for the ISSPG

Composition

Plan of a panel of pictures for the ISSPG, Tate Archive, London
Plan of a panel of pictures for the ISSPG, Tate Archive, London

The drawing shows a tentative arrangement of Whistler’s exhibits at the second show of the ISSPG in May 1899. 1 The paintings are Blue and Silver: Trouville [YMSM 066] (at the top), Rose and Gold: The Little Lady Sophie of Soho [YMSM 504], Purple and Gold: Phryne the Superb! - Builder of Temples [YMSM 490] (which was not sent to the exhibition because it remained unfinished), Nocturne: Black and Gold - Rag Shop, Chelsea [YMSM 204], Rose and Brown: La Cigale [YMSM 495], and Violet and Rose: Carmen qui rit [YMSM 506]. 2

Conservation History

The letter was started on the bottom half of one side, and completed the other way up, on the verso. There is a rusty paper clip stain on one side.

Notes:

1: 2nd Exhibition, Pictures, Drawings, Prints and Sculptures, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London, 1899.

2: MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1582) identifies ‘Cowan’s shop Nocture’ as Nocturne: Grey and Gold - Chelsea Snow [YMSM 174], which was not included in the ISSPG exhibition. In fact Cowan lent Nocturne: Black and Gold - Rag Shop, Chelsea [YMSM 204], which is the correct ‘shop Nocturne’.

Last updated: 7th March 2021 by Margaret