The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

YMSM 534
Portrait of Ronald Murray Philip

Portrait of Ronald Murray Philip

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1899-1900
Collection: Whereabouts Unknown
Accession Number: none
Medium: oil
Support: unknown
Size: unknown
Signature: unknown
Inscription: unknown
Frame: unknown

Date

Portrait of Ronald Murray Philip was certainly being painted 1899-1900, although the Pennells date it 1898/1900. 1 In December 1899 Whistler urged the sitter, Ronald Murray Philip (1871-1940) to come to Paris for Christmas and bring, or get Goupil’s to send, the painting of Ronald's head, which he had begun in London. 2 On 13 November 1900 Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), wrote to their sister Ethel Whibley (1861-1920) that Ronald was sitting to Whistler at Fitzroy Street. 3 Nothing further is known of the portrait.

Images

Portrait of Ronald Murray Philip, Whereabouts Unknown
Portrait of Ronald Murray Philip, Whereabouts Unknown

Ronald Philip sitting in an armchair, The Hunterian
Ronald Philip sitting in an armchair, The Hunterian

The Birnie Philips including Ronald M. Philip, photograph, 1895/1909, GUL Whistler PH1/165
The Birnie Philips including Ronald M. Philip, photograph, 1895/1909, GUL Whistler PH1/165

Subject

Titles

Only one title has been suggested:

Description

Whistler described it as the head of Ronald Murray Philip. 5

Sitter

The Birnie Philips including, second from right, Ronald M. Philip, photograph, 1895/1909, GUL Whistler PH1/165
The Birnie Philips including, second from right, Ronald M. Philip, photograph, 1895/1909, GUL Whistler PH1/165

Ronald Murray Philip (1871-1940). The son of the sculptor John Birnie Philip and Frances Black, Ronald was born on 26 October 1871 and died on 5 February 1940. Beatrice, his elder sister, was Whistler’s wife.

Ronald Philip sitting in an armchair, The Hunterian
Ronald Philip sitting in an armchair, The Hunterian

In 1900 he accompanied Whistler on holiday to Algiers and Corsica, and, as Whistler wrote, 'Ronnie is delightful - As I told you, I knew he would be - just the companion for my own charming, though perhaps perilously depressed self!' 6

Technique

Technique

Unknown.

Conservation History

Unknown.

Frame

Unknown.

History

Provenance

Unknown.

Exhibitions

Unknown.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

Authored by Whistler

Catalogues 1855-1905

Journals 1855-1905

Monographs

Books on Whistler

Books, General

Catalogues 1906-Present

Journals 1906-Present

Websites

Unpublished

Other

Notes:

1: Pennell 1908 [more], vol. 2, pp. 203-04.

2: Whistler to R. Birnie Philip, [11] and 12 December 1899, GUW #04765 and #04763.

3: GUL Whistler BP III Notebook.

4: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 534).

5: Whistler to R. Birnie Philip, [11] and 12 December 1899, GUW #04765 and #04763.

6: Whistler to R. Birnie Philip, [11 January 1901], GUW #04784.