Composition

Lillie: An Oval, The Hunterian

Lillie Pamington appears in nine of Whistler's portraits, including several where she appears in a similar pose and dress: Study for 'Brown and Gold: Lillie "In our Alley!" ' [YMSM 463], Brown and Gold: Lillie 'In our Alley!' [YMSM 464] and Grenat et or: Le Petit Cardinal [YMSM 469].

Grenat et or: Le Petit Cardinal, The Hunterian

The red cap, for instance, features conspicuously in the latter and inspired the title of 'Le Petit Cardinal'.

Technique

It was painted on a thin coarse canvas, and was possibly originally on a rectangular stretcher. The canvas has a thick commercial priming of lead white, fine bone black and fine synthetic ultramarine, applied over glue size. The artist's imprimatura is mainly dark-grey with possibly some brown. 1

In spite of its colour arrangement of rich reddish-browns, the surface of this portrait is rather rubbed and spoilt. The painting was heavily worked, and there is a dark area all round the head, and a dark outline to the left of Lillie's arm. Both her hands and the chair are barely indicated.

Conservation History

It was lined with a lighter, more closely woven fabric at an unknown date. There is some craquelure, including drying cracks, near the artist's eye, and very minor abrasions and paint loss. There is some cracking of the paint and varnish in two small areas at lower right, which have bulged under pressure at some time. Two natural resin-type varnishes overlie dirt, and so are not original. It may have been retouched and glossily varnished in 1980. 2 ?

Frame

Oval, 69.5 x 58.5 x 4.7 cm.