The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

r.: A Lady with an admirer in church; v.: Christ with disciples; West Point cadets dates from 1853/1854. Whistler was discharged from West Point in June 1854. This sheet was given to Thomas de Kay Winans (1820-1878) and family.

r: A Lady with an admirer in church in album, Metropolitan Museum of Art

v: Christ with disciples, Metropolitan Museum of Art

It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 137).

Images

Subject

Description

r: A Lady with an admirer in church in album, Metropolitan Museum of Art

An elaborately dressed young lady with pagoda-shaped straw hat stands facing left, with her duenna behind and to left, their heads bent over open hymn books. To right, a young man with a very fetching moustache leans towards the pew, raising adoring eyes towards her. The young lady extends her left hand towards him. A few figures, possibly including a priest in a pulpit, are seen in the background at right.

v: Christ with disciples, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Threee robed figures of bearded men walk together, with Christ in the centre, the youngest man, at his left, leaning adoringly towards him. Behind, to right, is another man.

Technique

Technique

r: A Lady with an admirer in church in album, Metropolitan Museum of Art

v: Christ with disciples, Metropolitan Museum of Art

See MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 137).

Conservation History

r: A Lady with an admirer in church in album, Metropolitan Museum of Art

The drawing was stuck into an album with several other drawings.

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. 137) as 'r.: A Lady with an admirer in church; v.: Christ with disciples; West Point cadets'.

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.

Websites

• Metropolitan Museum of Art website as 'Church Scene'.