The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

YMSM 502
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1897/1898
Collection: The Hunterian, University of Glasgow
Accession Number: GLAHA 46326
Medium: oil
Support: canvas
Size: 50.7 x 31.0 cm (20 x 12 1/4")
Signature: butterfly
Inscription: none
Frame: Grau-style, 1890s

Date

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris dates from between 1897 and 1898. 1

The model, Muriel Smith (1883-1923), was posing to Whistler in the autumn of 1897. 2 Whistler was prepared to sell this painting in 1898. 3 It was first exhibited at the Exhibition of International Art, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, Knightsbridge, London, 1898 (cat. no. 176).

Images

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, frame detail
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, frame detail

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, photograph, 1898
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, photograph, 1898

Wall of the First International Exhibition at Knightsbridge, 1898, from Pennell
1921, f.p.150
Wall of the First International Exhibition at Knightsbridge, 1898, from Pennell 1921, f.p.150

Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress
Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress

Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress
Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress

Whistler Memorial Exhibition, Boston, 1904, photograph, GUL Whistler PH6/24
Whistler Memorial Exhibition, Boston, 1904, photograph, GUL Whistler PH6/24

REPRODUCTIONS:

Whistler insisted on the reproduction of both Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris and At the Piano y024 in the Studio in 1898, instead of just At the Piano, which had been requested by the editor Charles Holme (1848-1923). 4

Subject

Titles

One title, with varying punctuation, is known:

'Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris' is the preferred title, to conform with other titles. The delicate face of the model, framed with soft brown hair, and her fluffy grey boa, perhaps inspired the title, which is translated as 'The Little Mouse'. She was not, as has been suggested, holding a mouse!

Description

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian

A half-length portrait of a young woman, looking at the viewer, but slightly turned to her left. She has on a grey fur or feather boa, which she holds close around her neck with her right hand, on which she has a pale grey glove. Her hair is light brown and curly, falling over her forehead in a short fringe. The portrait is in vertical format.

Sitter

Muriel Smith (1883-1923). She posed for several portraits around 1898, including Violet and Blue: The Red Feather y503.

Technique

Composition

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, 1898, photograph
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, 1898, photograph

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian

Comparing the 1898 photograph with the present state of this portrait it appears that, although not radically changed, the outline of the model's hair and of her boa, on her shoulders, was darkened and softened. Judging by the 1898 photograph, which renders the remains of the wiped-off paint more clearly, the hand and arm were lowered about 1 cm during painting. The area round her mouth was reworked and her lips made fuller, so that she had a sweeter expression.

However, as Dr Joyce H. Townsend points out, it is difficult to judge changes from the older photograph:

'The 1898 photograph would have been taking using orthochromatic film, more sensitive to the infrared than B&W film today. It would therefore emphasise dark areas that include black pigment, and would be more likely to capture underdrawing than the human eye. The soft brown colour of the photograph suggests it may have been printed using a toning process (selenium? various metals were used) which could further distort the grey values. These make it tricky to infer colour change from this image.' 7

Technique

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian

The canvas has been lined, which has emphasised the weave of the canvas. The pearly appearance of the flesh tones suggests a pinkish-grey artist's priming. 8

The face is quite highly finished and, although not heavily painted, carefully modelled with the paint fairly thin, in muted tones of flesh colour and pink, brown and grey. The brown eyes glitter with reflected lights, the nostrils are touched with red. The technique is boldest at the bottom of the canvas and at its finest around her eyes, but completely consistent and effective throughout.

Conservation History

The painting is in excellent condition. 9

Frame

Whistler Memorial Exhibition, Boston 1904, photograph, GUL PH6/24
Whistler Memorial Exhibition, Boston 1904, photograph, GUL PH6/24

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, The Hunterian

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, frame detail
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, frame detail

It is in its original Grau-style frame, dating from the 1890s, which was probably made for exhibition in 1898. 10 Size: 81.2 x 61.2 x 7.7 cm.

History

Provenance

In 1898 Whistler priced 'the other head of girl called "Petite Souris"' at 'about 600' and hoped to tempt Arthur Jerome Eddy (1859-1920) to buy it, through Whistler's brief-lived sales outlet, the Company of the Butterfly. 11 However it was still unsold, 'on the easel', at the Company of the Butterfly, in January 1899. 12

Exhibitions

Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, 1898, photograph
Grey and Silver: La Petite Souris, 1898, photograph

Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress
Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress

Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress
Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG, Library of Congress

Whistler was concerned about the precise hanging of his works at the ISSPG in 1898 and sent Albert Ludovici, Jr (1852-1932) two sketches of the proposed hang, Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG m1539 13 and Arrangement of paintings at the ISSPG m1540. In the latter he enclosed detailed instructions, and then countermanded them:

'[pictures numbered left to right:] 6 5 4 1. 3 2. 7. 8 9 [and three frames numbered:] '10.'

1. Rose Corder. 2. Princess. 3. Portrait. 4. Piano. 5. Oval. 6. Thames in ice. 7. Philosopher. 8. Nocturne Valparaiso. 9. Petite Souris (girls head with feather boa) 10. "Etchings by Mrs McNeill Whistler".

Or [sketch of pictures numbered left to right:] 2 10 7. 8 9. Yes this / * last way I prefer - and it gives you no trouble - ... Hang all my pictures on the line - excepting the Holloway (Philosopher) just a tiny bit up to make the line pretty - and perhaps the Petite Souris - also slightly - a matter for your eye - And be sure to see to the proper tilting over - so that [they] can be well seen.' 14

Wall of the First International Exhibition at Knightsbridge, 1898, from Pennell
1921
Wall of the First International Exhibition at Knightsbridge, 1898, from Pennell 1921

Whistler's idea of 'no trouble' was perhaps meant to be encouraging! A photograph of the hanging of Whistler's panel was reproduced by the Pennells, showing that the second of the plans was indeed adopted. 15 It is not clear whether the portrait was in fact tilted forward, although Ludovici agreed it would look better so. 16

Filippo Grimani (1850-1921) requested it for the III Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte della Città di Venezia, Venice, 1899, but it was not lent. 17

Whistler Memorial Exhibition, Boston 1904, photograph, GUL Whistler PH6/24
Whistler Memorial Exhibition, Boston 1904, photograph, GUL Whistler PH6/24

In 1904 it hung in the Boston Whistler Memorial Exhibition, as shown in the photograph reproduced above.

However, by the terms of Miss Birnie Philip's gift to the University of Glasgow, the portrait cannot be lent to any other venue.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

Authored by Whistler

Catalogues 1855-1905

Journals 1855-1905

Monographs

Books on Whistler

Books, General

Catalogues 1906-Present

Journals 1906-Present

Newspapers 1906-Present

Websites

Unpublished

Other


Notes:

1: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 502).

2: Whistler to R. Birnie Philip, [11 August 1897], GUW #04716. See Blue and Coral: The Little Blue Bonnet y500.

3: Whistler to Christine Anderson, [August/September 1898], GUW #00792.

4: Whistler to Holme, [May/June 1898], GUW #07973.Sauter 1898 [more], at pp. 110-11, repr. f.p. 110.

5: Exhibition of International Art, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, Knightsbridge, London, 1898 (cat. no. 176).

6: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 502).

7: Dr Joyce H. Townsend, Chief Conservator, Tate Britain, Report of examination, April 2017.

8: Townsend 2017, op. cit.

9: Ibid.

10: Dr S. L. Parkerson Day, Report on frames, 2017. See also Parkerson 2007 [more].

11: Whistler to Christine Anderson, [August/September 1898], GUW #00792.

12: Whistler to C. Anderson, 4 January 1899, GUW #07598.

13: Whistler to A. Ludovici, [26/30 April 1898], GUW #08075.

14: [26/30 April 1898], GUW #08075.

15: Pennell 1921C [more], repr. f. p. 150.

16: 23 May 1898, GUW #02313.

17: 8 February 1899, GUW #05949.