The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

A Yellow Note was fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 418).

A Yellow Note, Freer Gallery of Art

However, it is not consistent with Whistler's style and technique, and it is now thought that it may be by a follower or pupil such as Walter Greaves (1846-1930).

Images

Subject

Sitter

Not identified.

Technique

Technique

A Yellow Note, Freer Gallery of Art

The technique is not entirely consistent with Whistler's work. It was bought by C. L. Freer in 1902 but it appears that he may have had reservations about it, because it was left with the artist 'to re-touch or destroy as he may wish'; however, it is unlikely that further work was done on it. ¹

History

Provenance

• 1902: bought on 30 May from Obach, London dealers, by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919), but left with Whistler for retouching;
• 1903: possibly sent to Freer on 30 July, with other works retouched by Whistler, by William Stephen Marchant (1868-1925), London dealer;
• 1919: bequeathed by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) to the Freer Gallery of Art.

The early provenance is unclear. It may have also belonged to Alexander Constantine Ionides (1810-1890) and family, and it may have been a pastel of a nude owned by Miss Samuda at 32 Albion Street in London, and seen by C. L. Freer in 1902. ²

Details are given in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 418).

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 418) as 'A Yellow Note'.

Catalogues 1906-Present

• Curry, David Park, James McNeill Whistler at the Freer Gallery of Art, New York and London, 1984, p. 268, pl. 264.

Websites

• Freer Gallery of Art website at https://asia.si.edu/object/F1902.276a-b.