The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Cathedral Close, Canterbury dates from the summer of 1896.

Cathedral Close, Canterbury, Private collection

It is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1477); the record has been updated.

Images

Subject

Site

Cathedral Close, Canterbury, private collection

The cathedral close, possibly Mercer Lane, leading to Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, England.

Technique

Technique

Cathedral Close, Canterbury, private collection

Drawn with a fine nib pen and brown ink, with broken outlines, the shapes of windows and door filled in with patches of shading.

History

Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death and bequeathed to his sister-in-law and executrix, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958);
• 1940s: probably bought by Colnaghi's, London art dealers, and sold to Villiers David (1906-1985), London;
• 1985: sold by order of his executors, at auction, Christie's, New York, 6 December 1985 (lot 185, repr.) and bought by Ira Spanierman (n/a), New York dealer;
• 1987: Christie's, New York, 29 May 1987 (lot 91, repr.);
• 1988: Christie's, New York, 30 September 1988 (lot 133).
• 1996: still with Spanierman Gallery, New York;
• 2008: bought by a private collector;
• 2017: sold at auction, Heritage Auctions, Auction 5330, 3 November 2017 (lot 69105) as 'In Cathedral Close, Canterbury'.

Exhibitions

• 1904: possibly Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler, Copley Society, Boston, 1904 (cat. no. 156) as 'Old House, Canterbury, England'.
• 1905: possibly Œuvres de James McNeill Whistler, Palais de l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1905 (cat. no. 179) as 'Old Houses, Canterbury'.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 1477) as 'Cathedral Close, Canterbury'.

Catalogues 1855-1905

EXHIBITION;

• Possibly Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler, Copley Society, Boston, 1904 (cat. no. 156) as 'Old House, Canterbury, England'.
• Possibly Œuvres de James McNeill Whistler, Palais de l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1905 (cat. no. 179) as 'Old Houses, Canterbury'.

Catalogues 1906-Present

SALE:

• Christie's, New York, 6 December 1985 (lot 185, repr.).
• Christie's, New York, 29 May 1987 (lot 91, repr.) (this lot included Cathedral Close, Canterbury m1477, A street in Algiers m1648, The Gossips m1675).
• Christie's, New York, 30 September 1988 (lot 133).
• Heritage Auctions, Auction 5330, 3 November 2017 (lot 69105) as 'In Cathedral Close, Canterbury'.

Websites

• Heritage Auctions, Auction 5330, 3 November 2017 (lot 69105) as 'In Cathedral Close, Canterbury', Heritage website.