The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Study for three decorative panels representing 'The Landing of Columbus', 'Queen Isabel la Catôlica of Spain', and 'Queen Elizabeth of England' for Boston Public Library, Massachusetts was drawn on an unrelated letter from William Pollock Wylie (1869-1935) dated 22 December 1892. ¹

The sketch was drawn before Whistler received a contract for a panel in the Library: see the resulting oil panel, Study for Three Decorative Panels Representing 'The Landing of Columbus', 'Queen Isabel la Católica of Spain' and 'Queen Elizabeth of England' y396.

Study for three decorative panels representing 'The Landing of Columbus', 'Queen Isabel la Catôlica of Spain', & 'Queen Elizabeth of England' for Boston Public Library, Glasgow University Library

It was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1356).

Images

Subject

Site

Study for three decorative panels representing 'The Landing of Columbus', 'Queen Isabel la Catôlica of Spain', & 'Queen Elizabeth of England' for Boston Public Library, Glasgow University Library

The designs were intended for an large wall panel in Bates Hall, Boston Public Library.

Technique

Composition

Study for three decorative panels representing 'The Landing of Columbus', 'Queen Isabel la Catôlica of Spain', & 'Queen Elizabeth of England' for Boston Public Library, Glasgow University Library

Study for Three Decorative Panels Representing 'The Landing of Columbus', 'Queen Isabel la Católica of Spain' and 'Queen Elizabeth of England', Boston Public Library

This was a preliminary design for Study for Three Decorative Panels Representing 'The Landing of Columbus', 'Queen Isabel la Católica of Spain' and 'Queen Elizabeth of England' y396. It shows roughly the same composition as the oil study. There are three drawings of the panel, one of the panel with figures of the two queens, and one of the complete design, all very rough. The final decorative panel in Bates Hall, Boston Public Library, was never painted.

Conservation History

The drawings are sideways on to the letter. The sheet was folded in half horizontally, and twice more, vertically, for postage, and the folds are grubby.

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.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 1356) as 'Study for three decorative panels representing 'The Landing of Columbus', 'Queen Isabel la Catôlica of Spain', and 'Queen Elizabeth of England' for Boston Public Library, Massachusetts'.
• Young, Andrew McLaren, Margaret F. MacDonald, Robin Spencer, and Hamish Miles, The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, New Haven and London, 1980 (oil, cat. no. 396).

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 #07341.