The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Sketches in a letter, was sent by Whistler to 'Paul' and dates from October 1854.

'Dont be alarmed my dear boy...', Sketches in a letter, Library Of Congress

For more information on this work, see MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 179).

Images

Subject

Sitter

'Mad! I am not mad! ...', Sketches in a letter, Library Of Congress

Several of the sketches illustrating the letter are intended to be caricatures of the artist himself, James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903).

Technique

Technique

'Dont be alarmed my dear boy ...', Sketches in a letter, Library Of Congress

'Mad! I am not mad! ...', Sketches in a letter, Library Of Congress

'...my poor d-d foot...', Sketches in a letter, Library Of Congress

'..."Saw my leg off!"... ', Sketches in a letter, Library Of Congress

See MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 179).

History

Provenance

• 1854: sent to Paul Babcock Leeds (1835-1887), Stonington, CT.
• Date unknown: acquired for the Pennell Collection, Library of Congress.

Exhibitions

It was not exhibited in Whistletr'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. 179) as 'Sketches in a letter'.