Miss May Alexander dates from 1874-1875. 1

The banker William Cleverly Alexander (1840-1916) commissioned portraits of his daughters in the early 1870s. Whistler decided to start work on the portrait of Cicely Henrietta Alexander (1864-1932) before that of her elder sister, Agnes Mary ('May') Alexander (1862-1950). He wrote to their mother, Rachel Agnes Lucas (Mrs W. C. Alexander) (1837-1900):

'If you will not think me too capricious I wish that tomorrow you would bring the little fair daughter instead of her elder sister.

The fact is as you kindly wished every thing to be, in this matter, according to my fancy, I feel no hesitation in saying I should work at the present moment, with more freshness at this very "fair arrangement" I propose to myself, than at any other.' 2

Cicely herself wrote later:

'My father wanted him to paint us all, I believe, beginning with the eldest (my sister, whom he afterwards began to paint, but whose portrait was never finished). But after coming down to see us, he wrote and said he should like to begin with 'the light arrangement,' meaning me, as my sister was dark. So I was the first victim.' 3

Once he had completed Harmony in Grey and Green: Miss Cicely Alexander [YMSM 129], Whistler wrote from the house of Frederick Richards Leyland (1832-1892) at Speke Hall near Liverpool, and suggested starting the portrait of May Alexander when he returned to London:

'I fancy that I may be up in town by the end of this week ... and if pleasing to you all I will begin the picture of May - which I hear from the Mother you have lately thought of, and would like her painted in her riding habit -

... if you can give me a spare bed - I would offer to inflict myself upon Aubrey House for a week or so, and get at the picture every morning!' 4

The composition and dress of the sitter, including the conspicuous pot of flowers at left, suggest links with Whistler's portrait The Blue Girl: Portrait of Miss Elinor Leyland [YMSM 111] (an unfinished painting, which was probably still under way in 1874-1875).

May's portrait was probably started when Whistler returned from Speke in September 1874 (one drawing for the composition was actually drawn on F. R. Leyland's notepaper), and it was painted, according to W. C. Alexander, in the dining room at Aubrey House, Kensington. 5 The portrait was incomplete when W. C. Alexander paid Whistler £50 on account, on 1 February 1875. 6 Several weeks later, on 16 March 1875, Whistler's mother mentioned that Whistler was working on a portrait at Aubrey House. 7

Unfortunately sittings were postponed when May Alexander fell ill. Whistler wrote to W. C. Alexander, 'I hope May is now quite well again - and looking forward anxiously to the delight of standing one of these days.' 8 Later, probably in July 1876, Whistler wrote to his mother about a visit from the Alexanders to his studio: 'Mr and Mrs Alexander were here the other day, and are amazed and delighted with what they saw, and I am to paint either May, if she be able to stand, or little Gracie.' 9 However, according to Stevenson, it was 'interrupted in its early beginning by the illness of the young lady, and never taken up again'. 10 Many years later, the sitter's sister, Rachel Alexander (1875-1964) said that 'The sittings were interrupted for some reason or other and later Whistler did not want to bother to finish it.' 11 This was a little harsh! In the confusion surrounding Whistler's bankruptcy in 1879, the painting was lost to sight – it was probably in the possession of one of Whistler's chief creditors, Thomas Way (1837-1915) – and by the time it reappeared some twenty years later, no further sittings were possible.