The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
M.0279
Holthausen wooden tower
Date
Holthausen wooden tower may date from 1858, around the time that Whistler visited Cologne, but this is by no means certain. It is now thought that it is not by Whistler's hand, and the writing is certainly not his. The style of drawing, particularly in delineating the figures, is unlike his usual work.
Holthausen wooden tower, whereabouts unknown
The drawing is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 279). This entry has now been amended.
Images
Holthausen wooden tower, whereabouts unknown
Subject
Site
Holthausen wooden tower, whereabouts unknown
The gate-house at Holthausen in Germany.
Technique
Technique
Holthausen wooden tower, whereabouts unknown
The drawing has (since 1995) been examined in person, and in our opinion, neither the technique or writing are like Whistler's work. The drawing does appear to be of similar period to Whistler's Rhineland sketches, and may be by a local artist, or conceivably by Whistler's travelling companion, Ernest Delannoy (d. 1869/1872).
History
Provenance
- Date unknown: said by a later owner to have been at some time with Walter Dowdeswell (1858-1929), London;
- 1937: probably sold by Maggs Brothers, London, 1937, no. 642 (lot 123);
- Date unknown: bought from Maggs by Castano, Boston dealers;
- Date unknown: bought from Castano by Steven Juvelis (1921-1994), Lynn, Massachusetts;
- 1962: sold at auction, Christie's, London, 22 June 1962 (lot 14) as 'Women at a Fountain, Heidelberg', and bought by 'Manning', London dealer;
- 1963: sent to the Bernard Black Gallery, New York;
- 1966: sold at auction, Parke Bernet, New York, 26 May 1966 (lot 7) as 'A Street in Heidelberg with a Gate-Tower', bought by 'Rogers'.
Although other drawings with a similar provenance, such as Fontain à Heidelberg m0250, are believed to be by Whistler, this drawing does not, in our opinion, fit in to his oeuvre.
Bibliography
Catalogues Raisonnés
- MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 279) as 'Holthausen wooden tower'.
Catalogues 1906-Present
SALES:
- Christie's, London, 22 June 1962 (lot 14) as 'A Street in Heidelberg with a Gate-Tower'.