The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Framed press-cuttings for exhibition at the Fine Art Society was drawn in a letter from Whistler to Marcus Bourne Huish (1843-1904), on or shortly after 24 March 1886. ¹

Framed press-cuttings for an exhibition at the Fine Art Society, Glasgow University Library

It refers to two press-cuttings: a review of an exhibition by William Holman Hunt (1827-1910), at the Fine Art Society, published in The Spectator on 20 March 1886, and a letter from Whistler to Edmund Hodgson Yates (1831-1894), published in The World on 24 March 1886. ²

It was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1451) incorrectly dated 'c.1 December 1895', under the title 'Framed press-cuttings for a lithograph exhibition at the Fine Art Society'. The record, including the title, has has been corrected.

Images

Subject

Titles

The title has been changed from 'Framed press-cuttings for lithograph exhibition at the Fine Art Society' to 'Framed press-cuttings for exhibition at the Fine Art Society'.

Technique

Composition

Framed press-cuttings for an exhibition at the Fine Art Society, Glasgow University Library

A design for framing two press-cuttings, signed with a butterfly. The relevant section of the letter reads:

'Why don't you take the cutting from the Spectator about your show, my dear Huish, and my last Masterpiece in this weeks World, and frame them with large margins neatly on white/mount, as above, and hang them in the Holman Hunt Gallery - or in the front room.' ³

Technique

It was drawn with the same pen as the letter.

Conservation History

The sheet has been folded once horizontally and thrice vertically.

History

Provenance

• 1895: sent to Marcus Bourne Huish (1843-1904), of the Fine Art Society, London.
• 1921: sold by James Tregaskis (1850-1926), London book and art dealer (December 1921, cat. no. 413 iii).
• Date unknown: acquired by Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), London;
• 1955: given by Miss Philip to the University of Glasgow.

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. 1451).

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 #02986.