Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death in 1903 and bequeathed to his ward and executrix, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958);
• 1935: given by Miss Birnie Philip to the University of Glasgow.

In 1898 Whistler priced 'the other head of girl called "Petite Souris"' at 'about 600' and hoped to tempt Arthur Jerome Eddy (1859-1920) to buy it, through Whistler's brief-lived sales outlet, the Company of the Butterfly. 1 However it was still unsold, 'on the easel', at the Company of the Butterfly, in January 1899. 2

Exhibitions

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, 1898, photograph

• 1898: Exhibition of International Art, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, Knightsbridge, London, 1898 (cat. no. 176) as 'Grey and Silver – La Petite Souris'.
• 1904: Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler, Copley Society, Boston, 1904 (cat. no. 27).
• 1905: Œuvres de James McNeill Whistler, Palais de l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1905 (cat. no. 41).

Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress

Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress

Whistler was concerned about the precise hanging of his works at the ISSPG in 1898 and sent Albert Ludovici, Jr (1852-1932) two sketches of the proposed hang, Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG [M.1539] 3 and Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG [M.1540]. In the latter he enclosed detailed instructions, and then countermanded them:

'[pictures numbered left to right:] 6 5 4 1. 3 2. 7. 8 9 [and three frames numbered:] '10.'

1. Rose Corder. 2. Princess. 3. Portrait. 4. Piano. 5. Oval. 6. Thames in ice. 7. Philosopher. 8. Nocturne Valparaiso. 9. Petite Souris (girls head with feather boa) 10. "Etchings by Mrs McNeill Whistler".

Or [sketch of pictures numbered left to right:] 2 10 7. 8 9. Yes this / * last way I prefer - and it gives you no trouble - ... Hang all my pictures on the line - excepting the Holloway (Philosopher) just a tiny bit up to make the line pretty - and perhaps the Petite Souris - also slightly - a matter for your eye - And be sure to see to the proper tilting over - so that [they] can be well seen.' 4

Wall of the First International Exhibition at Knightsbridge, 1898, from Pennell 1921

Whistler's idea of 'no trouble' was perhaps meant to be encouraging! A photograph of the hanging of Whistler's panel was reproduced by the Pennells, showing that the second of the plans was indeed adopted. 5 It is not clear whether the portrait was in fact tilted forward, although Ludovici agreed it would look better so. 6

Filippo Grimani (1850-1921) requested it for the III Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte della Città di Venezia, Venice, 1899, but it was not lent. 7

Whistler Memorial Exhibition, Boston 1904, photograph, GUL Whistler PH6/24

In 1904 it hung in the Boston Whistler Memorial Exhibition, as shown in the photograph reproduced above.

However, by the terms of Miss Birnie Philip's gift to the University of Glasgow, the portrait cannot be lent to any other venue.