The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Study for 'Portrait of Miss May Alexander' is included in a letter to Rachel Agnes Lucas (Mrs W. C. Alexander) (1837-1900), dating from the autumn of 1874. ¹

Study for 'Portrait of Miss May Alexander', British Museum

The drawing is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 498) where it was dated 1873.

Images

Subject

Sitter

Study for 'Portrait of Miss May Alexander', British Museum

Agnes Mary ('May') Alexander (1862-1950), daughter of William Cleverly Alexander (1840-1916) and Rachel Agnes Lucas (Mrs W. C. Alexander) (1837-1900), was the subject of this drawing though she would not actually have sat for it.

Technique

Composition

Study for 'Portrait of Miss May Alexander', British Museum

Miss May Alexander, Tate

This is a preliminary study for Miss May Alexander y127. In his letter, Whistler suggested a choice of suitable dress and recommended buying a hat from Walker & Milton, in preparation for the portrait. ²

Conservation History

The letter was placed in an album.

History

Provenance

• 1874: sent to Rachel Agnes Lucas (Mrs W. C. Alexander) (1837-1900), London;
• 1900: passed to her husband William Cleverly Alexander (1840-1916);
• 1916: passed to their daughters Rachel Alexander (1875-1964) and Jean Ingelow Alexander (1877-1972);
• 1958: given by them to the British Museum.

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. 498) as "Study for 'Portrait of Miss May Alexander' ".
• Young, Andrew McLaren, Margaret F. MacDonald, Robin Spencer, and Hamish Miles, The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, New Haven and London, 1980 (oil, cat. no. 127).