The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (1) dates from 1893. ¹

On 12 April 1893, Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932), New York dealer, hinted that Whistler might paint his portrait, and he wrote again on 10 June saying he would be available from 24 June. ² According to the Pennells, in the summer of 1893,

'One Sunday, Mr. E. G. Kennedy's portrait was painted in the garden [at 110 rue du Bac] on a very small canvas or a panel . . . He worked away all afternoon .. If Kennedy shifted - there were no rests - Whistler would scream, and he worked on, and on, and the sun went down . . . a paint rag came out- and, with one fierce dash, it was all rubbed off; "Oh, well", was all he said.' ³

This implies that the portrait was destroyed but that is not certain, for on 9 July Kennedy wrote asking Whistler if he could take 'the picture' back:

'Can I take the picture back with me?

I shall keep it at home, occasionally under the influence of rain, if you so decree.

I hope to bring it over next year, and make marks on the garden seats while posing for the uncompleted picture - that is if you care to take it up again. It promises well & might be an interesting work.' ⁴

Although Whistler agreed, it is not clear what happened after that: it may have been destroyed after all. Instead a small portrait of Kennedy in a standing pose was continued the following year: see Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (2) y404.

Images

Subject

Titles

Only one title has been suggested:

• 'Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (1)' (1980, YMSM).

The numbering, 'Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (1)', serves to distinguish it from Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (2) y404.

Description

Unknown.

Sitter

Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932), nicknamed 'O'K.' by Beatrice Philip (Mrs E. W. Godwin, Mrs J. McN. Whistler) (1857-1896) after the vanished 'O'Kennedys' of Ireland, represented the New York firm of Wunderlich in their dealings with Whistler from 1885 on. After the death of Hermann Wunderlich (b. ca 1839-d. 1892) Kennedy became head of the firm and it bore his name. He was closely associated with Whistler for many years, though briefly estranged from him towards the end. He first posed for Whistler in July 1892, for a drypoint, Man in an arbour: Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (G.468), but Whistler eventually destroyed the copperplate. Kennedy compiled the standard catalogue of Whistler's etchings, published in 1910, and edited and republished Way's catalogue of Whistler's lithographs, in 1914.

Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (2), Metropolitan Museum of Art

Whistler apparently made 'a replica' of this first portrait, Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (2) y404.

G. Boldini, E. G. Kennedy, Metropolitan Museum of Art

W. M. Chase, E. G. Kennedy, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two portraits of Kennedy dating from the 1890s are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: an oil by William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) (1973.342) painted about 1895, and a drawing by Giovanni Boldini (1845-1931) (33.40.62).

Technique

Technique

Unknown.

Conservation History

E. G. Kennedy implied that Whistler had destroyed the earlier portrait, when he wrote to Whistler on 14 April 1896, 'you wiped out the distinguished O'K. and the other remains here, such as he is.' ⁵ The 'other' was Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (2) y404.

Frame

None.

History

Provenance

• It was probably destroyed by the artist.

Exhibitions

It was not exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.

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. 403) as 'Portrait of E. G. Kennedy (1)'.

Authored by Whistler

• None.

Catalogues 1855-1905

• None.

Journals 1855-1905

• None.

Monographs

• None.

Books on Whistler

• Pennell, Elizabeth Robins, and Joseph Pennell, The Life of James McNeill Whistler, 2 vols, London and Philadelphia, 1908, vol. 2, p. 146.

Books, General

• None.

Catalogues 1906-Present

• None.

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. 217).

Other

• None.