Detail from The Canal, Amsterdam, 1889, James McNeill Whistler, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

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M.1643
Sketchbook

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1900-1901
Collection: The Hunterian, University of Glasgow
Accession Number: GLAHA 46301
Medium: pencil and pen and ink
Support: cream wove paper; sketchbook, black leather spine; front cover grey/green card with printed heading 'No.1./ SKETCH/ BLOCK./ HARD ROUGH FINISH./ ID. H. M.& S'; back cover cream card, half torn off; 70 pp.
Size: 3 7/16 x 5 7/8" (87 x 150 mm)
Signature: several butterflies
Inscription: various
print

Sketchbook

Technique

Ship’s deck and rigging, sketchbook (p. 61), The Hunterian
Ship’s deck and rigging, sketchbook (p. 61), The Hunterian
Bazaar, Algiers, sketchbook (p. 69), The Hunterian
Bazaar, Algiers, sketchbook (p. 69), The Hunterian

Most of the drawings are in graphite pencil, but a couple are in ink. See MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1643)

Conservation History

Front cover, sketchbook, The Hunterian
Front cover, sketchbook, The Hunterian

A number of sheets in the book have been removed (pp. 13-20, 45-8) but there are traces of ink on p. 13. It is likely that drawings were removed by Miss R. Birnie Philip. She sold over fifty drawings , including ones, like Steps in Algiers [M.1644] and The Traders [M.1649], which were obviously taken from sketchbooks. In Sketchbook [M.1643], the sheets are 145 mm (5 11/16") in length to the staple - so that the drawings as sold could be less than 86 x 145 mm (3 3/8 x 5 11/16"). The paper has a regular rough bumpy grain.

Last updated: 9th December 2020 by Margaret