The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

r.: Designs for monogram for ISSPG ; v.: Tracing of monogram for ISSPG were designed for the catalogue of the 2nd Exhibition, Pictures, Drawings, Prints and Sculptures, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London, 1899.

Several of the designs were published in the Daily Chronicle, London, 9 May 1899.

r.: Designs for monogram for ISSPG, Library Of Congress

They are catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1537) dated 1898.

Images

Subject

Description

r.: Designs for monogram for ISSPG, Library Of Congress

Eight designs for the monogram 'ISSPG' contained in an ellipse, for the International Society fo Sculptors, Paiknters and Gravers.

Technique

Composition

International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, catalogue cover, 1901

The selected design was used on the brown paper cover of the catalogue for 2nd Exhibition, Pictures, Drawings, Prints and Sculptures, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London, 1899 and subsequent exhibitions.

Technique

r.: Designs for monogram for ISSPG, Library Of Congress

There are pin holes at the corners and centre top, and a patch of pencil shading on the verso used when tracing Whistler's design for a monogram. Three of the eight designs were starred, the right hand one (second from the top, upper right) being traced and used on the exhibition catalogues.

An associated piece of paper bears instructions to the printer: '1 col/ 1 block/ D.C./ Sat./ Do not mask' and on v.: '51545/D.C./Sat.'

Conservation History

The paper has an orange tone, and the top edge has been torn unevenly.

History

Provenance

• 1898: given by Whistler to Joseph Pennell (1860-1926);
• 1917: given by Joseph and Elizabeth Robins Pennell (1855-1936) to the Library of Congress.

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. 1537) as 'r.: Designs for monogram for ISSPG ; v.: Tracing of monogram for ISSPG'.

Catalogues 1855-1905

• 2nd Exhibition, Pictures, Drawings, Prints and Sculptures, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London, 1899 (design reproduced on the cover).
• 3rd Exhibition, Pictures, Drawings, Prints and Sculptures, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, Galleries of the Royal Institute, London, 1901 (design reproduced on the cover).

Newspapers 1855-1905

• Daily Chronicle, London, 9 May 1899, repr.

Websites

• Library of Congress website at http://www.loc.gov.