The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Head of a woman drawn on the back of an unrelated letter from Francis Gerard Prange (b. ca 1843) to Whistler dated 19 May 1893. ¹ The authorship of the drawing is uncertain.

Head of a woman, Glasgow university Library

It is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1361).

Images

Subject

Sitter

Head of a woman, Glasgow university Library

Unidentified.

Technique

Technique

Head of a woman, Glasgow University Library

This could be by James or Beatrice Philip (Mrs E. W. Godwin, Mrs J. McN. Whistler) (1857-1896).

Conservation History

The sketch is on the fourth side (back) and is not related to the letter. It is only 50 mm high, a rubbed, smudgy sketch of a woman's head. The paper has a slight grain. It was folded into quarters for postage.

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 has not been exhibited.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 1362) as 'Head of a woman'.

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 #05030.