Fighting Peacocks dates from 1877. It is on the verso of drafts of letters to Frances Leyland (1834-1910) and Frederick Richards Leyland (1832-1892), dating from July 1877. 1

The draft letter to F. R. Leyland reads:

‘Your son dined with me at my own table since the visit in question of Tom Leyland and myself at Princes Gate - and I returned with your son at his request to his mother’s house where I passed the evening - since then I have been honored with many courteous invitations transmitted through him to me

​Theatrical in your threat - Ridiculous in your rage - Fuming in your frill, I refer you to the Cartoon opposite you at dinner, known to all London as “L'Art et l'Argent” or the Story of the Room -’ 2

It is not known whether Whistler sent such letters. The drafts were written on the first two sides of a folded sheet, and the rough sketch is on the back.

Fighting Peacocks, Glasgow University Library

For once, the subject of the letter and of the drawing are clearly related, and the sketch must date from when Whistler was working on his panel of the fighting peacocks (see Cartoon of rich and poor Peacocks [M.0584]) or immediately afterwards.

The drawing is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 583).