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

 

The Daughter of the Concierge

Provenance

  • 1894-1900: with Alexander Reid (1854-1928) , Glasgow art dealer;
  • 1900: bought by Vickery, Atkins & Torrey, San Francisco;
  • 1900: W. S. Noyes (dates unknown) , Oakland, California, and Mrs Noyes, until 1915;
  • 1915: bought from Clara McChesney (1960-1928?) , Oakland and New York, by Macbeth Galleries, New York art dealers;
  • 1919: sold by Macbeth to Theodore T. Ellis (1887-1934) , Worcester, MA;
  • 1940: bequeathed by him to the Worcester Art Museum.

                    The Daughter of the Concierge, photograph, Torrey & Vickery, 1900
The Daughter of the Concierge, photograph, Torrey & Vickery, 1900

According to art dealers' records, it was in Glasgow in 1894, and with the Glasgow art dealer Alexander Reid until 1900. It was bought from him by Vickery, Atkins & Torrey, San Francisco, in April 1900, for £400. 1

It was acquired by William S. Noyes, Oakland, in 1900, and lent by Mrs Noyes to an exhibition in San Francisco 1915 (cat. no. 279) as 'The Daughter of the Concierge'.

The painter Clara McChesney (who was originally from Oakland) owned it until January 1919 when it was bought by the Macbeth Galleries, New York, and exhibited by them New York 1919 (cat. no. 29). Macbeth sold it to Theodore T. Ellis on 18 February 1919 for $2500 or $5000. 2 He bequeathed it to the Worcester Art Museum in 1940 (Theodore T. and Mary G. Ellis Collection).

Exhibitions

It was not exhibited in Whistler's lifetime as far as is known.

Notes:

1: Information from A. McN. Reid, 1963, GUL WPP files.

2: The Worcester Museum and Macbeth Gallery records do not match entirely.

Last updated: 25th November 2020 by Margaret