The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Harmony in Opal and Violet was exhibited in 1885.

It is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1075).

Images

Subject

Description

Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921), writing in the Academy, praised Whistler's two upright pastels of lightly draped models. ¹ Most critics appeared to think the pastels were figure studies although the Echo on 2 December 1885 mentioned two pastel 'seaside' sketches.

It is also possible that Harmony in Opal and Violet should be identified with Harmony in Blue and Violet m1076 or a 'seaside' subject, now known as Annabel Lee m1077.

Technique

Technique

Unknown.

History

Provenance

Unknown.

Exhibitions

• 1885: Winter Exhibition, Society of British Artists, London, 1885 (cat. no. 566) as 'Harmony in Opal and Violet'.

Grey and Silver m1069, Harmony in Opal and Violet m1075 and Harmony in Opal and Violet m1075 were exhibited together. Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921), writing in the Academy, praised Whistler's two upright pastels of lightly draped models. ² Most critics appeared to think the pastels were figure studies although the Echo mentioned two pastel 'seaside' sketches.

There is a possibility that Harmony in Opal and Violet was the nude study to which Whistler affixed his note "Horsley soit qui mal y pense" (see Note in Violet and Green m1074).

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 1075).

Catalogues 1855-1905

• Winter Exhibition, Society of British Artists, London, 1885 (cat. no. 566) as 'Harmony in Opal and Violet'.

Newspapers 1855-1905

• [British Artists], Observer, London, 29 November 1885.
• [British Artists], Echo, London, 2 December 1885.

Journals 1855-1905

• Wedmore, Frederick, 'The Society of British Artists', Academy, vol. 28, 19 December 1885, p. 417.