The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

An Ajaccio fisherman dates from 1901.

An Ajaccio fisherman, Harvard Art Museums

It is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1692). This entry has been revised and corrected.

Images

Subject

Sitter

An Ajaccio fisherman, Harvard Art Museums

Unidentified, a fisherman in Ajaccio, the principal town in the French island of Corsica.

Technique

Technique

An Ajaccio fisherman, Harvard Art Museums

A small, very controlled drawing taken from a sketchbook, with neat pencil outlines and shading, and a light brown watercolour wash.

History

Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death and bequeathed to his sister-in-law, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958);
• 1956: sold to Colnaghi's, London art dealers, 11 May 1956;
• 1956: bought on 31 May by Dr Sidney Charles Lewsen (d. 1994), St John's Wood, London;
• 1994: passed to Dr Lewsen's estate.
• 2000: sold at auction, Sotheby's, 21 June 2000 (lot 19) as 'The Thames Boatman' (sic);
• 2001: The Fine Art Society, London art dealers;
• 2001: bought by Patricia Cornwell, Belmont, MA;
• 2005: given by Patricia Cornwell to the Harvard Art Museums.

Exhibitions

It was not, as far as is known, 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. 1692) as 'An Ajaccio fisherman'.

Catalogues 1906-Present

EXHIBITION:

• David Park Curry, 'Whistler and Godwin', in Whistler and Godwin: Artist and Designer , The Fine Art Society, London, 2001 (cat. no. 34), repr.

SALES:

• Sotheby's, 21 June 2000 (lot 19) as 'The Thames Boatman' (sic).

Websites

• Harvard Art Museums website at https://www.harvardartmuseums.org.