The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Variations in Violet may date from 1884. ¹ It was first shown in Whistler's one-man exhibition of 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1884 (cat no. 30) as 'Variations in Violet'.

It was, unusually for Whistler, a flower painting. In the late summer of 1884 (after the closure of the exhibition) Whistler wrote to Charles William Dowdeswell (1832-1915), 'I am greatly pleased with you - I have a great opinion of your understanding now that you like the flower pieces!' ² Unfortunately there is no further record of the 1884 flower painting.

Images

Subject

Titles

Only one title is known:

• 'Variations in Violet' (1884, Dowdeswell). ³
• 'Variations in Violet' (1980, YMSM). ⁴

Description

It was described in the Liverpool Mercury on 3 July 1884 as 'a clever flower study'. As such, it is unusual in Whistler's subjects.

However, several flower compositions in pastel and watercolour were shown in the subsequent Dowdeswells' exhibition, including Mother of pearl and silver - Flowers m1107, A yellow note - Flowers m1108, and Studies of poppies m1109.

Technique

Technique

Nothing is known of the technique except that the painting was 'clever'. ⁵

Conservation History

Unknown.

Frame

Unknown.

History

Provenance

• Unknown.

Exhibitions

• 1884: 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1884 (cat no. 30) as 'Variations in Violet'.

It was described in the Liverpool Mercury on 3 July 1884 as 'a clever flower study.' ⁶

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• Young, Andrew McLaren, Margaret F. MacDonald, Robin Spencer, and Hamish Miles, The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, New Haven and London, 1980 (cat. no. 301) as 'Variations in Violet'.

Authored by Whistler

• None.

Catalogues 1855-1905

• 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1884 (cat no. 30) as 'Variations in Violet'.

Newspapers 1855-1905

• Anon., 'Art Notes', Liverpool Mercury, Liverpool, 3 July 1884, p. 6.

Journals 1855-1905

• None.

Monographs

• None.

Books on Whistler

• None.

Books, General

• None.

Catalogues 1906-Present

• Myers, Kenneth John, Mr. Whistler’s Gallery: Pictures at an 1884 Exhibition, Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2003, p. 90 (not exhibited).

Journals 1906-Present

• None.

Websites

• None.

Unpublished

• Revillon, Joseph Whistler, Draft Catalogue Raisonné of the Paintings of J. McN. Whistler, [ca 1945-1955], Glasgow University Library (cat. no. 457).

Other

• None.