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

 

M.0564
Design for a butterfly

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1874
Collection: British Museum, London
Accession Number: 1958-7-8-12
Medium: charcoal and watercolour
Support: brown wove paper, laid down on paper
Size: 4 x 3 1/8" (102 x 80 mm)
Signature: none
Inscription: none

Design for a butterfly

Design for a butterfly was a design for brooches to be worn at the opening of Mr Whistler's Exhibition, Flemish Gallery, 48 Pall Mall, London, 1874. It was apparently given to William Cleverly Alexander (1840-1916) or a family member, and put in an album.

Design for a butterfly, British Museum
Design for a butterfly, British Museum

It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 564).

Last updated: 15th February 2021 by Margaret