The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
M.0298
Passport
Date
Passport, GUL NB10t
Whistler's Passport was issued in Washington DC on 28 July 1855 and the enclosed notebook was used in Europe until at least 1863, and possibly until 1871.
Wapping, pencil, GUL NB10, p. 43
Wapping, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
The notebook includes the earliest known study for the oil Wapping y035, which probably dates from 1860.
The drawings in the notebook are fully recorded in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 298).
The notes are fully transcribed in The Correspondence of James McNeill Whistler, 1855-1903, edited by Margaret F. MacDonald, Patricia de Montfort and Nigel Thorp; including The Correspondence of Anna McNeill Whistler, 1855-1880, edited by Georgia Toutziari. Online edition, University of Glasgow. #12745.
Images
Giant pine tree, GUL NB10, p. 8
Woman wearing a tiara, GUL NB10, p. 12
Mountainous coastline, GUL NB10, p. 14
Bay with cliffs, GUL NB10, p. 15
Caves in a headland, GUL NB10, p. 16
Woman playing the piano, GUL NB10, p. 17
Suspension bridge, GUL NB10, p. 25
Westminster, GUL NB10, p. 28
Boats sailing towards a suspension bridge, GUL NB10, p. 29
Figures in the bow of a boat on a river, GUL NB10, p. 40
Two heads, GUL NB10, p. 42
Wapping, GUL NB10, p. 43
Two barges, GUL NB10, p. 45
Lady with page and courtier, in Tudor dress, GUL NB10, p. 46
Plans of an interior, and a curtain, GUL NB10, inside back cover
GUL NB10, passport
Wapping, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Subject
Site
Suspension bridge, GUL NB10, p. 25
Westminster, GUL NB10, p. 28
The River Thames in London, including a very quick sketch of Westminster.
Boats sailing towards a suspension bridge, GUL NB10, p. 29
Figures in the bow of a boat on a river, GUL NB10, p. 40
Several drawings were probably done from a boat.
Mountainous coastline, GUL NB10, p. 14
Bay with cliffs, GUL NB10, p. 15
Caves in a headland, GUL NB10, p. 16
The summary sea-side sketches may have been drawn on the coast of France or southern England.
Sitter
Wapping, GUL NB10, p. 43
The woman in the painting was Joanna Hiffernan (b. ca 1843-d.1886).
Technique
Composition
Wapping, GUL NB10, p. 43
Wapping, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
One sketch in the notebook has the first known study of the composition of the oil Wapping y035
Technique
Lady with page and courtier, in Tudor dress, GUL NB10, p. 46
It is not certain that all the sketches are by Whistler. The Pre-Raphaelite-type figure illustrated above is not like his usual style, but the element of caricature makes it hard to judge the author.
Conservation History
The sketches are very rubbed, darkened, and spotted.
History
Provenance
- 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death and bequeathed to his sister-in-law and executrix, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958);
- 1955: given by her to the University of Glasgow.
Exhibitions
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. 298) as 'Passport'.
- Young, Andrew McLaren, Margaret F. MacDonald, Robin Spencer, and Hamish Miles, The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, New Haven and London, 1980 (cat. no. 35, ref.).
Websites
- The Correspondence of James McNeill Whistler, 1855-1903, edited by Margaret F. MacDonald, Patricia de Montfort and Nigel Thorp; including The Correspondence of Anna McNeill Whistler, 1855-1880, edited by Georgia Toutziari. Online edition, University of Glasgow. GUW #12745