Titles

Only one title has been suggested:

• 'Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (1)' (1980, YMSM).

The numbering, 'Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (1)', serves to distinguish it from Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (2) [YMSM 404].

Description

Unknown.

Sitter

Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932) , nicknamed 'O'K.' by Beatrice Philip (Mrs E. W. Godwin, Mrs J. McN. Whistler) (1857-1896) after the vanished 'O'Kennedys' of Ireland, represented the New York firm of Wunderlich in their dealings with Whistler from 1885 on. After the death of Hermann Wunderlich (b. ca 1839-d. 1892) Kennedy became head of the firm and it bore his name. He was closely associated with Whistler for many years, though briefly estranged from him towards the end. He first posed for Whistler in July 1892, for a drypoint, Man in an arbour: Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (G.468), but Whistler eventually destroyed the copperplate. Kennedy compiled the standard catalogue of Whistler's etchings, published in 1910, and edited and republished Way's catalogue of Whistler's lithographs, in 1914.

Whistler apparently made 'a replica' of this first portrait, Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (2) [YMSM 404].

Two portraits of Kennedy dating from the 1890s are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: an oil by William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) (1973.342) painted about 1895, and a drawing by Giovanni Boldini (1845-1931) (33.40.62).