The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Cats was drawn on the verso of the draft of an unrelated letter from Whistler to the sculptor Thomas Stirling Lee (1856-1916), which is dated 12 December 1891. ¹

Cats, Glasgow University Library

The drawing is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1319).

Images

Subject

Description

Cats, Glasgow University Library

Three studies of a tabby cat lying down and probably cleaning itself.

Sitter

A cat.

Technique

Technique

Cats, Glasgow University Library

See MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1319).

History

Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death in 1903 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. 1319) as 'Cats'.

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 #00599.