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

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M.0127
Conundrums

Artist: James McNeill Whistler and others
Date: 1853/1856
Collection: Private Collection
Accession Number: none
Medium: pen and brown ink
Support: off-white browned paper
Size: (a) 82 x 114 mm (3 1/4 x 4 1/2"); (b) 90 x 88 mm (3 9/16 x 3 1/2"); (c) 85 x 60 mm (3 3/8 x 2 3/8"); (d) 73 x 160 mm (2 7/8 x 6 5/8"); (e) 44 x 77 mm (1 3/4 x 32); (f) 81 x 145 mm (3 3/16 x 5 11/16"); (g) 63 x 142 mm (2 1/2 x 5 9/16"); (h) 45 x 120 mm (1 3/4 x 4 3/42); (i) 132 x 90 mm (5 3/16 x 3 9/162); (j) 132 x 90 mm (5 3/16 x 3 9/16"); (k) 100 x75 mm (3 15/16 x 2 15/162); (l) 135 x 110 mm (5 5/16 x 4 1/4"); (m) 74 x 105 mm (2 7/8 x 4 1/8"); (n) 162 x 101 mm (6 5/16 x 3 15/16"); (o) 72 x 104 mm (2 3/4 x 4"); (p) 99 x 197 mm (3 7/8 x 7 11/16"); (q) 62 x 121 mm (2 7/16 x 4 3/42); (r) 128 x 129 mm (5 x 5 1/16"); (s) 61 x 112 mm (2 5/16 x 4 3/8"); (t) 49 x 112 mm (1 7/8 x 4 3/8"); (u) 72 x 111 mm (2 3/4 x 4 5/16"); (v) 112 x 86 mm (4 3/8 x 3 5/16")
Signature: none
Inscription: various, see SUBJECT/ Description

Conundrums

These Conundrums probably date from between 1853 and 1856.

Conundrums (t): 'Standing [?]/ Sound of' / one cent piece inscribed 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / ONE CENT / 1856' / '2 Save' [two soles]/ his mission - he.' Private Collection
Conundrums (t): 'Standing [?]/ Sound of' / one cent piece inscribed 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / ONE CENT / 1856' / '2 Save' [two soles]/ his mission - he.' Private Collection

They include a coin dated '1856' by which time Whistler had long left USMA. It is likely that more than one hand was involved in these drawings, which were owned by one of Whistler's tutors, Absalom Baird (1824-1905) , Associate Professor of Mathematics at West Point.

They are catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 127); some changes have been made to the descriptions of the images.

Last updated: 8th April 2019 by Margaret