J. Whistler, Copy after Boucher's 'Diane au bain', repr. Pennell 1908

Copy after Boucher's 'Diane au bain' probably dates from between 1856 and 1858. 1

F. Boucher, Diane au bain, Musée du Louvre

Whistler's painting was a copy of Diane au bain or Diana after the bath by Francois Boucher (1703-1770) (1742, Musée du Louvre, Inv. 2712), which was bought by the Louvre in 1852.

On 17 June 1856, Whistler, sponsored by Marc-Charles-Gabriel Gleyre (1806-1874), obtained permission to enter the Musées Impériaux, Paris, 'pour les jours d'étude' (on study days). 2 There is, however, no record in the Archives du Louvre of Whistler having requested permission to copy a painting by Boucher.

Although there is no recorded history of Whistler's copy before 1905, it would seem likely that it was in the Winans family from an early date, and may even have been commissioned by them. It is not known under what circumstances Whistler painted this, since, unlike Copy after Mignard's 'La Vierge à la grappe' [YMSM 012], Copy after Schnetz's 'Les Adieux du consul Boëtus à sa famille' [YMSM 013], Copy after Greuze's 'La Cruche cassée' [YMSM 014], and Copy after Ziegler's 'La Vision de St Luc' [YMSM 015], his name does not appear in the Archives du Louvre among those registered to copy Boucher's picture.