The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
YMSM 445
The Little Yellow Girl, Lyme Regis
Date
The Little Yellow Girl, Lyme Regis was painted between September and November 1895, when Whistler was staying at Lyme Regis in Dorset. 1
It was listed later by Whistler as 'Lyme. The little yellow girl' among pictures sold to 'Hessel'. 2
Images
The Little Yellow Girl, Lyme Regis, Whereabouts unknown
Subject
Titles
Only one title is known, with minor variations:
- 'Lyme. The little yellow girl' (1899, Whistler). 3
- 'The Little Yellow Girl, Lyme Regis' (1980, YMSM). 4
Description
Unknown. it was probably the portrait of a girl in a yellow dress, possibly a half-length portrait.
Sitter
Unknown. Whistler praised the beauty of 'the little Lyme Regis maidens!' but did not refer to any specific painting in doing so. 5
Technique
Technique
Unknown.
Conservation History
Unknown.
Frame
Unknown.
History
Provenance
- 1899: possibly sold to Charles Hessele (fl. 1892-1914).
It was listed by Whistler as 'Lyme. The little yellow girl' among pictures sold to 'Hessel', who was probably the art dealer Charles Hessele. 6
On 8 July 1899 Whistler wrote to another art dealer, Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932)
'a man here ... has just now carried off seven paintings that you, for the last two years, had not perceived as sufficiently "grown" to be of service - but which properly framed and signed - as they now all are - go to make a mighty pretty little collection.' 7
The works recorded as sold to 'Hessel' or Hessele included Violet and Blue: The Red Feather y503, St Ives, The Nets on the Hill y270, Chelsea, Little Furniture Shop y373, Green and Gold: A Shop in Calais y474 and Blue Sea Piece, Dieppe y525. However, it is not absolutely certain that this sale went through, because several of these works have not been located.
Exhibitions
As far as is known, 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. 445) as 'The Little Yellow Girl, Lyme Regis'.
Authored by Whistler
- None.
Catalogues 1855-1905
- None.
Journals 1855-1905
- None.
Monographs
- None.
Books on Whistler
- None.
Books, General
- None.
Catalogues 1906-Present
- None.
Journals 1906-Present
- None.
Websites
- None.
Unpublished
- None.
Other
- None.
Notes:
1: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 445).
2: [June/July 1899] formerly dated [1901/1902], GUW #13662.
3: [June/July 1899], formerly dated [1901/1902], GUW #13662.
4: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 445).
5: Whistler to B. Whistler, 10 November 1895, GUW #06635.
6: [June/July 1899], formerly dated [1900/1902] GUW #13662.
7: GUW #09790.