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

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M.0126
Childs' Geometry book: (a) Spider's web, surveying instruments and man with lorgnette; (b) Man wearing a top hat

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1853
Collection: Private Collection
Accession Number: none
Medium: pen, brown ink, pencil and printed text
Support: off-white wove paper, from 'Sketches in Elements of Geometry and Trigonometry from the Works of A. M. Legendre revised and adapted to the course of mathematical instruction in the United States by Charles Davies, LL.D.', published by A. S. Barnes & Co., New York 1851. Boards 211 x 128 (8 5/16 x 5), only covers and frontispiece extant.
Size: (a) 8 1/16 x 4 13/16; (b) 8 1/16 x 5"; (a) 205 x 122mm; (b) 205 x 128 mm)
Signature: 'Whistler' and 'J. Whistler.'
Inscription: various notes and bets including, 'That Whistler will not put three drawings/ in Webb's album on specified pages within /14 days- Stakes one treat at Joe's to be/ paid on l5th day - June 4th - /l85[illeg]./ De l'Enfant arbiter- Instantor / constantor?] & Scribe/ Signed by dr Alex. S. Webb/ Interested wittness. J.Whistler." ' and on the title page, by the hand of F. L. Childs, 'This book was reduced to its present state by J. Whistler.'

Childs' Geometry book: (a) Spider's web, surveying instruments and man with lorgnette; (b) Man wearing a top hat

Description

Childs' Geometry book: (a) Spider's web, surveying instruments and man with lorgnette; (b) Man wearing a top hat, Private Collection
Childs' Geometry book: (a) Spider's web, surveying instruments and man with lorgnette; (b) Man wearing a top hat, Private Collection

The fragmentary sketches on the left sheet include a spider's web (at upper left), surveying instruments (centre left) and a man with a lorgnette, lower right. On the title page is a drawing of a man wearing a top hat, in profile to left, and a small diagram, basically a pentagon with extended sides.

Sitter

Not identified, possibly a visitor to West Point.

Last updated: 4th January 2019 by Margaret