The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Cadet life was drawn at West Point in 1852 or 1853 and was given to William Robertson Boggs (1829-1911).

Cadet life, Private Collection

It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 123).

Images

Subject

Sitter

Cadet life, Private Collection

Cadets at the Unites States Military Academy at West Point.

Technique

Technique

Cadet life, Private Collection

See MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 123).

Frame

Cadet life, Private Collection

A photograph in The Frick Art Reference Library shows this drawing, framed, with a group of seven drawings owned by William Robertson Boggs (1829-1911) and his descendants. These include A West Point drummer, and sketches m0122, Cadet life m0123, Plebs Policing m0124, Russian Dragoon m0125, Sam Weller and Mary fold a carpet m0135 and Valentine m0136. ¹

History

Provenance

• 1852/1853: given to William Robertson Boggs (1829-1911);
• 1911: bequeathed to his daughter, Mrs William Barret Taylor, née Elizabeth McCaw Boggs (1857-1922), Winston, NC;
• 1922: bequeathed to her daughter, Mrs Ralph Long née Cornelia Storrs Taylor (1895-1972), Wilmington, NC;
• 1972-present: passed by family descent to a private collection.

See details of history in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 123); the record has been revised

Exhibitions

As far as is known, it was not exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 123) as 'Cadet life'.