Detail from The Canal, Amsterdam, 1889, James McNeill Whistler, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

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Study in Brown

Study in Brown dates from the 1890s, probably between 1894 and 1896. 1 It is dated partly from the butterfly signature, but that is not conclusive.


                Study in Brown, photo
Study in Brown, photo

                The Girl in Red, Private collection
The Girl in Red, Private collection

It was dated circa 1884 in the 1980 catalogue raisonné, by comparison with the pose and technique of The Girl in Red [YMSM 312], but unfortunately neither portrait is easy to date.


                Study in Brown, Muskegon Museum of Art
Study in Brown, Muskegon Museum of Art

                The Little Rose of Lyme Regis, Boston Museum of Fine Arts
The Little Rose of Lyme Regis, Boston Museum of Fine Arts

It has recently been suggested that it was another portrait of the model for The Little Rose of Lyme Regis [YMSM 449] painted in 1896. The museum website comments:

'A Study in Rose and Brown was painted shortly before the artist’s death in 1903. Whistler met the subject, Rosie Rendall, during a trip to the village of Lyme Regis in Dorset. The painting bears all the hallmarks of Whistler – the atmospheric handling of tone and color, a flat, almost decorative picture plane, and the simple but elegant rendering.' 2

In technique, this is not impossible, but the identity of the model is in question.


                La Toison rouge, The Hunterian
La Toison rouge, The Hunterian

The technique and pose can also be compared to another girl's portrait, La Toison rouge [YMSM 501], which is dated 1896/1900. However, it is very hard to be definitive!

Notes:

1: 'c. 1884' according to YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 313).

2: Muskegon Art Museum website at http://www.muskegonartmuseum.org.

Last updated: 7th December 2020 by Margaret