Titles

Possible titles include:

• 'Study of a Head' (1904, Copley Society, Boston). 1
• 'Mr. Graves, Printseller' (1942, Parke-Bernet). 2
• 'Study of a Head' (1980, YMSM). 3

Since the identity of the sitter is not certain, 'Study of a Head' is the preferred title.

Description

A head and shoulders portrait of a young man, in vertical format. It shows the head in profile to right. He has a big moustache and short brown hair, and wears a brown coat over a white shirt, and a brown felt hat with a rounded crown.

Sitter

Unidentified.

An identification of the sitter as Graves, a print seller, was made by Parke-Bernet in 1942, but this may be incorrect. The Graves, father and son, lived near Whistler when he was at 454 Fulham Road, Chelsea, and had dealings with him from about 1877 to 1891 but their extensive correspondence (Houghton Library, Harvard University) mentions no portrait.

The sitter appears too young to be Henry Graves (1806-1892), as suggested in 1954. 4 Henry was the founder of the firm of print sellers and a founder of the Art Journal and Illustrated London News.

Henry's son, Algernon Graves (1845-1922), worked in the family firm and wrote many art reference books including comprehensive catalogues of Reynolds' paintings (1899), and of RA exhibitors (1905). A portrait of Algernon in 1878 by Rosa Frances Corder (1853-1893) was reproduced by Graves in 1918. 5 At the age of thirty-three he was plump, moustached, with receding hair, and already appeared older than the man in this portrait. According to Williamson, Whistler admired Rosa Corder's portrait of Algernon Graves but there is no evidence that Whistler painted him. 6 A photograph of Graves reproduced by M. B. Huish in 1897 shows him with a moustache and long side-whiskers. 7 His profile is not unlike the sitter except that the chin is rather heavier.

It is also possible that it could be identified as one of several missing portraits of men by Whistler, such as Portrait of Jerome Elwell [YMSM 536], but unfortunately no photograph of him has been located.

Another missing painting, the Portrait of Ronald Murray Philip [YMSM 534], provides a stronger case. The sitter was Whistler's brother-in-law Ronald Murray Philip (1871-1940). The etching Ronald Philip (The Hunterian) by Ronald's sister, Beatrice Philip (Mrs E. W. Godwin, Mrs J. McN. Whistler) (1857-1896), shows him at some time between 1888 and 1895. 8 At a later date, he is seen second from right in the photograph reproduced above.