The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Fidelis in the Arbour dates from between 1849 and 1851, and was given to Whistler's fellow pupil at Christ Church Hall, Pomfret, CT, Samuel Hammond (1835-1896).

Fidelis in the Arbour, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University

This is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 54).

Images

Subject

Description

Fidelis in the Arbour, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University

A soldier in armour raises a sword to attack the robed woman in front of him, to left, who is leaning his shield against a bed or couch. Behind, at left, there is a small table with jug and glass, and at right, trees. It is likely this was intended to illustrate a dramatic scene in a novel.

Technique

Technique

Fidelis in the Arbour, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University

See MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 54).

History

Provenance

• 1849/1850: given to Samuel Hammond (1835-1896) at Christ Church Hall, Pomfret, CT;
• 1896: passed by family descent to his son, Samuel Hammond (1859-1934) and daughter-in-law Grace Hammond (1874-1972);
• 1973: given to their son, Professor Mason Hammond (1903-2002), Harvard, MA;
• 2002: passed to the estate of Professor Hammond;
• 2015: anonymous loan and promised gift to the Fogg Museum, Harvard, in honor of Professor Mason Hammond.

For further details see MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 41).

Exhibitions

• 1904: Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler, Copley Society, Boston, 1904 (cat. no. 170) as 'Twenty-two Drawings and Sketches done by Mr Whistler while at School in Pomfret, Conn., about 1850'.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 54) as 'Fidelis in the Arbour'.

Catalogues 1855-1905

• Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler, Copley Society, Boston, 1904 (cat. no. 170) 'Twenty-two Drawings and Sketches done by Mr Whistler while at school at Pomfret, Conn., about 1850.'

Catalogues 1906-Present

• Oils, Water-colors, Drawings and Prints by James McNeill Whistler, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1934 (cat. no. 43, 44 or 45).

Websites

• Harvard Art Museums website.