The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
M.1438
A woman and a man seated in a garden
Date
A woman and a man seated in a garden dates from 1895/1898.
A woman and a man seated in a garden, Jill Newhouse Gallery
It was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1438). The record has been updated.
Images
A woman and a man seated in a garden, Jill Newhouse Gallery
Subject
Sitter
A woman and a man seated in a garden, Jill Newhouse Gallery
Probably Elisabeth Lewis (1844-1931), either posing on the terrace at Ashley Cottage, Walton-on-Thames, or possibly in Paris. The man could be George Henry Lewis (1833-1911) but the lack of features makes it impossible to be sure.
Technique
Technique
A woman and a man seated in a garden, Jill Newhouse Gallery
The composition may have been begun as early as 1895; Whistler completed the work between 1897 and 1898, adding pastel colour.
History
Provenance
- 1890s: George Henry Lewis (1833-1911) and Elisabeth Lewis (1844-1931);
- 1931: passed to their descendants, who owned it until after 1995.
- 2012: with Peter Nahum, Leicester Galleries, London;
- 2017: Jill Newhouse Gallery, 4 East 81st Street, New York.
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. 1438) as 'A woman and a man seated in a garden'.
Websites
- Jill Newhouse Gallery website, 2017, at http://www.jillnewhouse.com.
- John Christian, 'Commentary', The Victorian Web, website, repr. as 'Sir George and Lady Lewis on their terrace at Ashley Cottage, Walton-on-Thames', referencing Peter Nahum at Leicester Galleries, website, 12 January 2012.