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

 

M.1405
Sketch of 'Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac'

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1894
Collection: Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Accession Number: Pennell Collection, PWC 18/1523-5
Medium: pen and black ink
Support: cream laid paper, f.s.
Size: 8 7/8 x 5 3/8" (225 x 137 mm)
Signature: 'J McN Whistler' on letter
Inscription: letter from Whistler to D. C. Thomson

Sketch of 'Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac'

Composition

Sketch of 'Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac', Library of Congress
Sketch of 'Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac', Library of Congress
Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac, The Frick Collection
Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac, The Frick Collection

The tiny sketch shows Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac [YMSM 398]. The relevant section of the letter reads:

'I shall be very pleased to have a good reproduction of the portrait of the Comte in the Art Journal - But it ought to be done exactly like the one of Carlyle in the P. M. Budget ...

The reproduction ought to be on a full page - with plenty of white margin - This would look much better than too big a picture with less margin - [Sketch] Of course this publication in the Art Journal, in no way touches the copyright.' 1

Technique

Sketch of 'Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac', Library of Congress
Sketch of 'Arrangement in Black and Gold: Comte Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac', Library of Congress

It was drawn with the same square nibbed pen as the letter, using the nib sideways to achieve quite fine and detailed effects.

Conservation History

The letter was written on all four sides of a folded sheet of writing paper, the drawing being on side four, and then folded, and the folds are now a bit dirty.

Notes:

1: [27-28 April 1894], GUW #08265. The portrait was eventually reproduced in Art Journal December 1894 [more] , repr. p. 361.

Last updated: 16th February 2021 by Margaret