Titles

Two titles have been suggested for the painting:

• 'Study of Carlyle on Back of Canvas' (1921, Pennell). 1
• 'Sketch for the Portrait of Carlyle (1)' (1980, YMSM). 2

The title 'Sketch for the Portrait of Carlyle (1)' (used in the 1980 catalogue) is retained here.

Description

The Sketch for the Portrait of Carlyle (1) [YMSM 133] shows a seated man in black, in profile to left, unfinished; it is in horizontal format. It is on the verso of Nocturne Violet and Gold – Winter by Walter Greaves (1846-1930).

Underneath this rough sketch, a full length figure is just visible, painted at right angles to the study of Carlyle. It shows a woman in a long white dress standing on a beige floor before a black dado.

Site

Not identifiable.

Sitter

The sitter for Whistler's completed portrait was Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881).

Walter Greaves is known to have painted several portraits of Carlyle, probably from memory. A good example is in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (PG 982).