The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Moneybags was drawn in a letter from Whistler to William Heinemann (1863-1920) in October 1892, celebrating a portrait commission and the arrival of a cheque for Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket y170. ¹

Moneybags, facsimile in Library of Congress

It was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1344).

Images

Subject

Description

Moneybags, facsimile in Library of Congress

The butterfly radiating glory above piles of bags containing money.

Technique

Technique

Pen and probably black ink.

History

Provenance

• 1892: William Heinemann (1863-1920), London;
• 1920: Heinemann's estate;
• 1922: sold at auction, American Art Association, New York, 13 January 1922 (lot 70, repr.).

The original letter is known only from a typescript and photograph in the Library of Congress and from the 1922 sale catalogue.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 1344) as 'Moneybags'.

Catalogues 1855-1905

SALE:

• American Art Association, New York, 13 January 1922 (lot 70, repr.).

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 #10787.