The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

A Bat dates from 1892/1893.

A Bat, proof of lithograph, Bibliothèque du Musée D'Orsay, Paris

It was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1355).

Images

Subject

Description

A Bat, proof of lithograph, Bibliothèque du Musée D'Orsay, Paris

A lithograph of Whistler's drawing shows a bat with outspread wings flying to left. with clouds and a full moon to left.

Technique

Composition

A Bat, proof of lithograph, Bibliothèque du Musée D'Orsay, Paris

The reproduction above is from a proof of the frontispiece for the second edition of a book: Montesquiou 1893 A [more].

A Bat, Bibliothèque du Musée D'Orsay, Paris

A Bat, Bibliothèque du Musée D'Orsay, Paris

There were at least two preliminary drawings for the frontispiece, A Bat m1355a and A Bat m1355b.

Technique

A Bat, Bibliothèque du Musée D'Orsay, Paris

Whistler's pen drawings were lithographed for reproduction. The proof reproduced here was found in a copy of Montesquiou's book in the Bibliothèque du Musée D'Orsay, Paris (Réserve 4° L.19).

History

Provenance

• 1892: drawn for Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac (1855-1921)'.

Exhibitions

It was not, as far as is known. 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. 1355) as 'A Bat'.

Books, General

• Montesquiou, Robert de, Les Chauves Souris. Clairs Obscurs, Paris, 1893, 2nd. edition, repr. frontispiece.