Titles

Possible titles include:

• ‘bella Mafia’ (1901, Whistler). 1
• 'portrait of Mrs. Heinemann' (1921, Pennell). 2
• 'Portrait of Mrs William Heinemann' (1980, YMSM). 3

Description

An oval portrait. When Heinemann told Whistler his wife could not come to pose, the artist replied, 'Pity! - for I meant the picture to be beautiful ... and the Arrangement is so new!' 4 But what exactly was 'new' is not known.

Sitter

Magda Stuart Sindici (Mrs W. Heinemann) (b. 1878, m. 1899) was born about 1875.

Whistler’s association with William Heinemann (1863-1920) began with the publication of The Gentle Art of Making Enemies in 1890, the year in which Heinemann founded the publishing firm that bears his name. In 1899, Whistler congratulated Heinemann on his engagement to ‘the beautiful Principessa Donna ... the most fair and dainty Donna!’ 5 She was a writer and had published a novel, Via Lucis, under the pseudonym Kassandra Vivaria, with Heinemann’s firm. In February 1899 Whistler was best man at Heinemann’s wedding to Magda Stuart Sindici in Porto D‘Anzio, her home in Italy.

Whistler also made Designs for monograms for William and Magda Heinemann [M.1534]. The Heinemanns were extremely hospitable and Whistler, who had lived for some time with Heinemann at 4 Whitehall Court from 1896 on, continued to visit the couple when they moved to Norfolk Street, Mayfair. He was, for instance, staying with them in May 1900. 6 However, William and Magda Heinemann parted in 1902; he sued for divorce in 1903 and it was granted in the following year. 7