The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

M.0074
The Light at the Door

The Light at the Door

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1849/1851
Collection: Whereabouts unknown
Accession Number: none
Medium: watercolour, ink and pencil
Support: paper
Size: 3 3/4 x 2 3/8" (95 x 60 mm)
Signature: 'JAW'
Inscription: 'The [sunlight?] was shining [illegible words] light was [splendidly] reflected by the windows of the palace of the Doges of Venice' [in unknown hand]

Date

The Light at the Door dates from between 1849 and 1851, and was given to Louise Chandler Moulton (1835-1908) in Pomfret, CT.

The drawing was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 74).

Images

The Light at the Door, Whereabouts unknown
The Light at the Door, Whereabouts unknown

Subject

Description

A bent robed figure, possibly a woman, stands at left, beside the pillar of a massive arch.

Site

The inscription might suggest that it was a drawing of the Doge's palace in Venice, or a similar subject, but it may have been completely unrelated to the drawing. 1

Comments

The drawing was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 74), where it was suggested that it might have been a copy of The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt (1827-1910). Judging by the inscription, this is incorrect.

Technique

Technique

It appears to have been a rough sketch, possibly unfinished or cut from a larger composition. It has not been seen by the authors of this catalogue.

History

Provenance

It was photographed by the Pennells when in Moulton's possession in 1905, but the photograph has not been located. 2

Exhibitions

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

Catalogues 1855-1905

Books on Whistler

Journals 1906-Present

Websites


Notes:

1: An indistinct image of the drawing is on Artnet (2021).

2: Letter from Moulton to Pennell, 27 September 1905, LC PC.