The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Draft of Address to Queen Victoria dates from between May and July 1887. The actual Address to Queen Victoria (1819-1901) on the occasion of her Jubilee, of which this is a draft or sketch, was sent in July 1887. ¹

Draft of Address to Queen Victoria, Glasgow University Library

This drawing is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1131) as 'Draft of Address to Queen Victoria'. This record has been revised.

Images

Subject

Description

Draft of Address to Queen Victoria, Glasgow University Library, p. 1

There are full illuminations only on the first page, which shows two lions supporting a shield or garland, with several decorative chequered areas.

Technique

Composition

Draft of Address to Queen Victoria, Glasgow University Library, p. 1

Address to Queen Victoria, photo, Glasgow University Library

This is a draft of the first page of the Address from the Society of British Artists to Queen Victoria (1819-1901). Six sheets from the draft are extant, numbered I-III, V, VII-VIII, but missing IV and VI. There are full illuminations only on the first page, which shows two lions supporting a shield or garland, with several decorative chequered areas. On the verso of p. 1 there is a draft of the letter 'Q' alone; otherwise the manuscript is written only on the recto of each sheet.

Technique

Draft of Address to Queen Victoria, Glasgow University Library

Neither the drawing nor writing are in Whistler's usual style, although this first page could be by his hand. The eight surviving sheets are each ruled, with wide margins, and it is possible that the Address was drafted and later copied and partly illuminated by a professional writer or by Edward Desiré Mitchell (1849-1913), a heraldic artist, employed by the College of Heralds in London, who was consulted by Whistler several times between May and July 1887. ²

History

Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death and bequeathed to his sister-in-law, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958);
• 1955: given by Miss Birnie Philip 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. 1131) as 'Draft of Address to Queen Victoria'.

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, 2003-2004, GUW #05965.