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

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Sketchbook

Description

Front cover, sketchbook, The Hunterian
Front cover, sketchbook, The Hunterian
Front endpapers, sketchbook, The Hunterian
Front endpapers, sketchbook, The Hunterian
Gilt edge, sketchbook, The Hunterian
Gilt edge, sketchbook, The Hunterian

Notebook with cardboard cover, covered with paper having a printed flower pattern of white daisies with yellow centres, and green leaves, on a dark red background; inside cover, paper with white and purple trompe l'oeuil cube pattern; held closed by a purple plaited band.

One side of the paper has a neat slight chequered grain, the other a matt surface. The paper is very browned, with gilt edges. The squares are under 4mm. Inside cover: Inscribed 'Aj' [Ajaccio?].

Hat?, sketchbook (p. 1), The Hunterian
Hat?, sketchbook (p. 1), The Hunterian

p. 1: Hat? Pencil. Inscribed with draft of a letter to Inez Eleanor Addams (1874-1958): 'pour completer par leur présence la belle céremonie et recevoir les adieux étonnés des éleves .' 1 Inez Addams was Whistler's apprentice and Massière of the Académie Carmen in Paris, which was closed, on Whistler's instructions, in 1901. The letter was written over a big round shape, shaded, possibly a hat, which had been rubbed.

Lady at Dinner, sketchbook (p. 3), The Hunterian
Lady at Dinner, sketchbook (p. 3), The Hunterian

p. 3: Lady at dinner. 2 Pen and black ink. Areas below the plate, and at top right, were scraped out carefully and reworked (but the grid of blue lines came off with the drawing).

Seated woman wearing a large hat, sketchbook (p. 7), The Hunterian
Seated woman wearing a large hat, sketchbook (p. 7), The Hunterian

p. 6: Draft of letter to Lady Skinner. 3

p. 7: Seated woman wearing a large hat. Pencil. A very faint drawing, with an element of caricature.

Three lines, sketchbook (p. 9), The Hunterian
Three lines, sketchbook (p. 9), The Hunterian

p. 9: Three lines, possible the beginning of a drawing of a head. Pencil.

Woman leaning her head on her hand, sketchbook (p. 11), The Hunterian
Woman leaning her head on her hand, sketchbook (p. 11), The Hunterian

p. 11: Woman leaning her head on her hand. Pencil. Signed with butterfly. A weak drawing, with diagonal shading.

Man’s head and shoulders, sketchbook (p. 13), The Hunterian
Man’s head and shoulders, sketchbook (p. 13), The Hunterian

p. 13: Man’s head and shoulders. Pencil. Another faint sketch.

Man’s head, sketchbook (p. 14), The Hunterian
Man’s head, sketchbook (p. 14), The Hunterian

p. 14: Man’s head. Pencil. A summary sketch, face on.

Donkeys pulling a cart, sketchbook (p. 17), The Hunterian
Donkeys pulling a cart, sketchbook (p. 17), The Hunterian

p. 17: Donkeys pulling a cart. Pencil. Drawn with a hard sharp pencil.

Flowering plant in a pot, sketchbook (back endpaper), The Hunterian
Flowering plant in a pot, sketchbook (back endpaper), The Hunterian

Inside back cover: Flowering plant in a pot. Pencil.

Site

Ajaccio, Corsica.

Sitter

Lady at Dinner, sketchbook (p. 3), The Hunterian
Lady at Dinner, sketchbook (p. 3), The Hunterian

There are a number of drawings of this woman (A lady reciting [M.1661], Woman in profile left [M.1662], and A lady seated, reciting [M.1663]) but she has not been identified.

Notes:

1: GUW #13385.

2: Repr. MacDonald 1979 [more], p. 51.

3: See GUW #13386.

Last updated: 9th December 2020 by Margaret