The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
YMSM 508
Portrait of Teresa Cerutti
Date
Portrait of Teresa Cerutti probably dates from between 1897 and 1901.
At some time between 1897 and 1903, according to the sitter, Whistler painted two portraits of her in Paris in his studio at 86 rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, the first being 'a bust, full face, in city dress of dark violet, with Venetian lace covering the collar' for which she had two sittings. 1 However, it is highly unlikely it was painted as late as 1903 because by then Whistler was in poor health, and indeed was in London.
A cryptic letter, tentatively dated 1897/1900, from Whistler to Cerutti begs her to come to the studio 'parceque il n'est pas bien, et desire vous voir.' 2 This possibly helps to confirm Cerutti's story, at least to the extent of putting her in touch with Whistler, but no other evidence or portraits of her have been located.
Images
Portrait of Teresa Cerutti, Whereabouts unknown
Teresa Cerutti as 'Salome', photograph 1900
Subject
Titles
Whistler's original title is not known. The only title that has been suggested is:
- 'Portrait of Teresa Cerutti' (1980, YMSM). 3
Description
Described by the sitter as 'a bust, full face, in city dress of dark violet, with Venetian lace covering the collar. It was hatless, with my hair at the sides, "en bandeau," or, as Mr. Whistler so often said, "a la Botticelli".' 4
Sitter
Teresa Cerutti as 'Salome', photograph 1900
Teresa Cerutti (d. 1945). was an Italian singer and artist. 5 She asserted that she had refused to take one of Whistler's portraits of her, because 'they did not look like me, but like my aunt in Italy'. 6 At this date, Whistler was very well known, and it seems very odd indeed that any model would reject the chance to acquire a portrait by him.
There is another tenuous link between Whistler and Cerutti. After an unfortunate first marriage, in 1910 Cerutti married Will Simmons, son of the mural painter Edward Simmons who took over Whistler's Paris studio in the Rue Notre Dame des Champs after 1903. It is therefore just possible that Simmons was in contact with Whistler before this date.
Technique
Technique
The sitter said, 'With me he [Whistler] began at once by drawing in the bust with a brush and sienna', drawing only the outline in the first sitting, and at the second, he 'made flat tones in sienna, in many shades.' 7
Conservation History
Unknown.
Frame
Unknown.
History
Provenance
- 1897/1903: Whistler is said to have offered to let Cerutti have one of two portraits but she refused. 8
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. 508) as 'Portrait of Teresa Cerutti'.
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
- Cerutti, Teresa, An Intimate View of James McNeill Whistler (t. s., n.d.), pp. 10-12, 18, in Special Collections, Glasgow University Library.
Notes:
1: Cerutti, Teresa, An Intimate View of James McNeill Whistler (t. s., n.d.), pp. 10-12, copy in GUL. Portrait dated 'about 1897/1903' in YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 508).
2: Cerutti, op. cit., letter quoted p. 18; [1897/1900], GUW #11014.
3: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 508).
4: Cerutti, Teresa, An Intimate View of James McNeill Whistler (t. s., n.d.), pp. 10-12, copy in GUL.
5: Teresa Cerutti-Simmons: documents and photographs are in Special Collections, Boston Public Library.
6: Cerutti, op. cit., pp. 10-12.
7: Cerutti, Teresa, An Intimate View of James McNeill Whistler (t. s., n.d.), pp. 10-12, copy in GUL.
8: Cerutti, Teresa, An Intimate View of James McNeill Whistler (t. s., n.d.), pp. 10-12, copy in GUL.