The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

'Vive les Débardeurs!!' dates from 1853/1854 and was given to Thomas de Kay Winans (1820-1878) and family, who stuck it in an album.

'Vive les Débardeurs!!', Metropolitan Museum of Art

It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 133).

Images

Subject

Sitter

'Vive les Débardeurs!!', Metropolitan Museum of Art

'Débardeurs' were French dockworkers or longshoremen. Whistler was inspired by the series Les Débardeurs by Paul Gavarni (1804-1866). See also Le Débardeur m0037.

Technique

Conservation History

The sketch was originally stuck into an album.

History

Provenance

• 1853/1854: given to Thomas de Kay Winans (1820-1878) and family;
• 1878-1970: passed by family descent to his daughter Celeste Marguerite Winans (Mrs G. M. Hutton) (1855-1925), her daughter Lucette Marguerite Hutton, Mrs H. A. Prichard (1885-1957), and grand-daughters, Margaret Celeste Prichard, Mrs T. A. Buell (1908-1970), Helen Lucette Prichard, Mrs J. M. King (1913-2005), and Sybil Agnes Prichard, Mrs E. G. Walk (1915-2009);
• 1970: given by Margaret C. Buell, Helen L. King, and Sybil A. Walk to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Exhibitions

It was not, as far as is known, exhibited in Whistler's lifetime.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 133) as 'Vive les Débardeurs!!'.

Websites

• Metropolitan Museum of Art website.