The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

YMSM 347
Little Maud Hamerton

Little Maud Hamerton

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1885/1887
Collection: Whereabouts Unknown
Accession Number: none
Medium: oil
Support: unknown
Size: unknown
Signature: unknown
Inscription: unknown
Frame: unknown

Date

The subject of Little Maud Hamerton was born in 1882 and must have been painted when she was under five years old. 1 'Little Maud Hamerton' was listed by Whistler among pictures available for a possible exhibition in 1886/1887. 2 There is no further record of such a painting.

Images

Little Maud Hamerton, Whereabouts Unknown
Little Maud Hamerton, Whereabouts Unknown

Portrait of a child, Colby College Museum of Art
Portrait of a child, Colby College Museum of Art

Subject

Titles

Only one title has been suggested:

Description

A portrait of a girl.

Sitter

Alice Maud Hamerton (b.1882) was the niece of Whistler's chief model, Maud Franklin (1857-1939). 5 Maud Franklin was extremely fond of young Maud, the daughter of a sister who died shortly after her birth.

The name might suggest a relationship to the artist and critic, Philip Gilbert Hamerton (1834-1894), but none of his children was called Maud.

There are a number of unidentified sitters for portraits dating between 1882 and 1887, including Study in Brown y313, Portrait of a child y321a, and another, Portrait of a child [y321b], that has not been located. All are difficult to date, and the age of the children is uncertain.

Portrait of a child, Colby College Museum of Art
Portrait of a child, Colby College Museum of Art

Portrait of a child y321a appears to show a very young child, and is the most likely candidate, since the others appear to show slightly older girls.

Technique

Technique

Nothing is known about the picture except that it may have been complete enough to be considered for exhibition, and was certainly listed among large portraits in Whistler's studio. 6

Conservation History

Unknown.

Frame

Unknown.

History

Provenance

Unknown.

Exhibitions

Unknown.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

Authored by Whistler

Catalogues 1855-1905

Journals 1855-1905

Monographs

Books on Whistler

Books, General

Catalogues 1906-Present

Journals 1906-Present

Websites

Unpublished

Other

Notes:

1: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 347).

2: [1886/1887], formerly dated [4/11 January 1892], GUW #06795.

3: List, [1886/1887], GUW #06795.

4: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 347).

5: Birth records, Public Record Office, Kensington 1a 53 July-September 1882.

6: 1886/1887, formerly dated [4/11 January 1892], GUW #06795.