The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Eve probably dates from 1898, and possibly 1899. ¹

On 1 February 1898 Whistler wrote from Paris to William Heinemann (1863-1920), saying that he had painted 'an Eve':

'I sit in the studio and could almost laugh at the extraordinary progress I am making and the lovely things I am inventing! - I have now in the studio a Phryne - a Dannae - an Eve - an Odalisque - and a Bathsheba ... I must not allow small ordinary considerations of Exhibition ... to interfere with work of this character which I always looked forward to and was sure would one of these days announce itself - bursting forth suddenly as the result of much preparation! All these inventions are since you left me the other day!' ²

According to the Pennells, Whistler intended, after painting Purple and Gold: Phryne the Superb! - Builder of Temples y490,

'to paint an Eve, an Odalisque, a Bathsheba, and a Danae, all on a very large scale. He at one time arranged that his sketches for the designs should be set up on the canvas by his apprentices, Mr and Mrs Clifford Addams, but this was another of his unrealised plans. Suggestions for the paintings were in the little pastels of undraped or slightly draped figures, for which he found the perfect model in London.' ³

It is not certain that this was the same painting that was in London in December 1899 when Whistler asked his sister-in-law Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) to send a painting of 'a sort of Eve', through Goupil's to him in Paris, 'a nude figure begun from Lillie Pettigrew - a sort of Eve with an Apple in her hand - send it in her frame - Indeed while you are about it, there are two pictures similar in shape from the Lillie in their new frames - may as well both come.' ⁴

Lilian Pettigrew (b. 1870) posed for Whistler in London about 1895 for the Portrait Study of Lily Pettigrew y434, but may also have posed later. She is unlikely to have posed in Paris, however.

Images

Subject

Titles

One main title has been suggested, plus a descriptive one:

• 'Eve' (1898, Whistler). ⁵
• 'Eve with an Apple' (1899, Whistler). ⁶
• 'Eve' (1980, YMSM). ⁷

Description

Presumably a study of a nude woman holding an apple.

Whistler described a painting as 'nude figure begun from Lillie Pettigrew - a sort of Eve with an Apple in her hand.' ⁸

Study of the Nude, The Hunterian

In this letter Whistler sketched the pictures he wanted, Two paintings of nudes m1601 and although they appear to show full-length nudes, possibly similar to Study of the Nude y493, they are not detailed enough to identify the painting of 'Eve'.

Sitter

Portrait Study of Lily Pettigrew, The Hunterian

According to Whistler Lilian Pettigrew (b. 1870), posed for a version of 'Eve' though not necessarily the same one mentioned to Heinemann.

E.L. Sambourne, Hetty Pettigrew, photograph,Leighton House

The three Pettigrew sisters, Bessie ('Hetty'), the oldest, Rose the youngest, and Lily were very popular as models; a photograph of them by Edward Linley Sambourne (1844-1910) is reproduced above. Their mother brought them to London when Lily was about 14. In her memoirs Rose described her sister Lily as having 'most beautiful curly red hair, violet eyes, a beautiful mouth, classic nose, and beautifully shaped face, long neck, well set, and a most exquisite figure; in fact, she was perfection!' ⁹

Ethel Warwick holding an apple, The Hunterian

Another model, Ethel Warwick (1882-1951), posed nude for the pastel Ethel Warwick holding an apple m1605, but if she represents an 'Eve' this is a radical re-interpretation of the subject.

Dorothy Seton - A Daughter of Eve, The Hunterian

Finally, Whistler's last model, Dorothy Seton (fl. 1885-1900) posed fully clothed, holding an apple, for another painting that references Eve: Dorothy Seton - A Daughter of Eve y552.

Technique

Composition

The curious mixture of biblical, Oriental, and mythological subjects mentioned by Whistler (Phryne, Dannae, Eve, Odalisque, Bathsheba) ¹⁰ could possibly be applied to a number of the late nude studies in oil by Whistler, such as Study of the Nude y493.

Study of the Nude, The Hunterian

On the other hand, none of the many pastels of nude and draped figures known to have been drawn in the 1890s were given such titles nor have they any recognisable iconographical details, with the exception of Ethel Warwick holding an apple m1605, where the apple is probably a note of colour, or a snack, and not a symbol.

Adam and Eve, The Hunterian

Eve, The Hunterian

There are, however, two pencil drawings (Adam and Eve m1697 and Eve m1698, reproduced above) that appear to be based on the story of Adam and Eve, although according to Miss Birnie Philip they were drawn in connection with a competition run by Pear's Soap – and the apple is in fact a bar of soap.

Technique

Unknown.

Conservation History

Unknown.

Frame

Unknown.

History

Provenance

Unknown.

Exhibitions

Unknown.

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. 491) as 'Eve'.

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. 206.

Books, General

• None.

Catalogues 1906-Present

• None.

Journals 1906-Present

• None.

Websites

• None.

Unpublished

• None.

Other

• None.