The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
M.0074
The Light at the Door
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
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
- 1849/1851: given to Louise Chandler Moulton (1835-1908), Pomfret, CT;
- 1905/1908: owned by her until at least 1905 and probably until her death in 1908.
- 1995: with Skinner, auctioneers, Boston and Bolton, MA, October 1995.
It was photographed by the Pennells when in Moulton's possession in 1905, but the photograph has not been located. 2
Exhibitions
- 1904: Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler, Copley Society, Boston, 1904 (cat. no. 169) as 'Sketch'.
Bibliography
Catalogues Raisonnés
- MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 74) as 'The Light at the Door'.
Catalogues 1855-1905
- Oil Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels and Drawings: Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Mr. J. McNeill Whistler, Copley Society, Boston, 1904 (cat. no. 169) as 'Sketch'.
Books on Whistler
- Pennell, Elizabeth Robins, and Joseph Pennell, The Life of James McNeill Whistler, 2 vols, London and Philadelphia, 1908, vol. 1, pp. 27-28 as 'The Light at the Doot'.
Journals 1906-Present
- Pressly, Nancy D., 'Whistler in America: An Album of Early Drawings', Metropolitan Museum Journal, New York, vol. 5, 1972, pp. 125-54, at p. 151 (no, 42) as 'Light at the Door'.
Websites
- Artnet website (2021).
Notes:
1: An indistinct image of the drawing is on Artnet (2021).
2: Letter from Moulton to Pennell, 27 September 1905, LC PC.