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

 

Miss Rosalind Birnie Philip Standing

Technique


                    Miss Rosalind Birnie Philip Standing, The Hunterian
Miss Rosalind Birnie Philip Standing, The Hunterian

The panel was made from a single section of wood about 1 cm thick, and the grain runs vertically. The pale grey ground has been used as a mid-tone. The brush marks of the priming go across the board horizontally, contradicting the vertical emphasis of the design and wood-grain. 1

The outlines of Miss Birnie Philip's right arm, and of both her puffed sleeves, have been altered. The background was painted with comparatively bold, sketchy strokes, and is incomplete. By contrast the woman's head was painted with tiny, precise brushstrokes.

Conservation History

The panel has a slight diagonal warp but has not split and the painting is generally sound, although the varnish is slightly yellowed. 2

Frame

47.3 x 37.7 x 3.2 cm.

Notes:

1: Condition report by Clare Meredith, 21 May 2001, Hunterian files.

2: Meredith, 21 May 2001, op. cit.

Last updated: 25th November 2020 by Margaret