The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
M.0397
The Purple Iris
Date
The Purple Iris dates from 1871/1872.
The Purple Iris, Freer Gallery of Art
It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 397).
Images
The Purple Iris, Freer Gallery of Art
Study for the 'Purple Iris', National Museum of Wales
Subject
Titles
On 8 June 1904 William Burrell told C. L. Freer that he 'had no name for the pastel.' 1 However, when exhibited in 1905, it had been christened 'The Purple Iris.'
Sitter
The Purple Iris, Freer Gallery of Art
Not identified. She may also have posed for Study for the 'Purple Iris' m0398.
Technique
Composition
The Purple Iris, Freer Gallery of Art
Study for the 'Purple Iris', National Museum of Wales
The pose of the model is similar to that in Study for the 'Purple Iris' m0398.
History
Provenance
- Date unknown: possibly acquired by Henry Graves (1806-1892), art dealer and publisher, London;
- 1893: possibly sold at auction, Christie's, London, 20 April 1893 (lot 120) as 'Girl with Bird (upright)', and bought by 'Foxley' or 'Parsons'.
- Before 1904: bought by William Burrell (1861-1958), Glasgow;
- 1904: bought by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919);
- 1919: bequeathed to the Freer Gallery of Art.
Exhibitions
- 1904: Ouvrages de Peintures, Sculpture, Dessin, Gravure, Architecture et Objets d'Art, 14th exhibition, Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1904 (cat. no.137) as 'The Purple Iris.'
Bibliography
Catalogues Raisonnés
- MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 397) as 'The Purple Iris'.
Catalogues 1855-1905
SALE:
- Christie's, London, 20 April 1893 (lot 120) as 'Girl with Bird (upright)'.
EXHIBITION:
- Ouvrages de Peintures, Sculpture, Dessin, Gravure, Architecture et Objets d'Art, 14th exhibition, Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1904 (cat. no.137) as 'The Purple Iris.'
Books on Whistler
- Cary, Elizabeth Luther, The Works of James McNeill Whistler: A Study, with a Tentative List of Artist’s Works, New York, 1907, p. 197 (cat. no. 267).
Catalogues 1906-Present
- Curry, David Park, James McNeill Whistler at the Freer Gallery of Art, New York and London, 1984, p. 245, pl. 218.
Websites
- Freer Gallery of Art website at https://asia.si.edu/object/F1904.87a-b.
Notes:
1: Letter in Freer Gallery of Art.