The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
M.0422
Self-portrait
Date
Self-portrait dates from 1871/1873. The butterfly signature confirms this dating.
Self-portrait, Art Institute of Chicago
It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 422).
Images
Self-portrait, Art Institute Of Chicago
Subject
Description
Self-portrait, Art Institute of Chicago
The artist is seen in three-quarter view to right, drawing on a board held at 45 degrees, to right. He is lit from the left, and emerges from a deeply shadowed background. There are touches of white on his collar and shirt cuffs. A light coloured curl of hair is visible among the darker hair above his forehead.
Sitter
Self-portrait, Art Institute of Chicago
James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903).
Technique
Technique
Self-portrait, Art Institute of Chicago
For some years up to 1991 it was assumed by the Art Institute of Chicago that this was either a fake, a forgery, or a drawing by another artist. However, it was examined by the author, and others, and it was determined that it is definitely an authentic self portrait.
It was drawn in black chalk, with some stumping to soften shadows, and it was touched up lightly with white chalk for his skin and highlights. The coarse surface of the paper adds texture to the lines. Stephanie L. Strother comments:
'Whistler varied his technique throughout the composition, using delicate, blended lines around the face; much bolder lines for the collar and upper hand; and broad, textured strokes applied in sweeping diagonals for the torso and background. Though the top portion of the drawing is quite detailed, it trails off to faint scribbles at the bottom.' 1
Futhermore she suggests that there may be a faint reflection of the figure on the table top. However, the head that appears upside down, and very small indeed, at the bottom of the sheet, does not appear to be related to the portrait.
For further details see MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 422).
History
Provenance
- Date unknown: possibly owned by Thomas Robert Way (1861-1913), London. 2
- Date unknown: possibly in a collection in Chicago, Illinois.
- Before 1991: acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago.
There is a photograph of the drawing in the collection of Albert Eugene Gallatin (1882-1952) (New York Public Library, Print Collection, G.189 Bis.B) but no indication of the owner. An undated photograph by Frederick O. Benn, Chicago, possibly for a private collector, or for the Art Institute of Chicago, is in the Library of Congress.
The provenance of this drawing has been partly lost and possibly confused with that of r.: Self-portrait; v.: standing woman m0463. 3
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. 422) as 'Self-portrait'.
Books, General
- MacDonald, Margaret F., 'James McNeill Whistler: An Artist on Artists', in: Visual Culture in Britain, vol. 16, Issue 2, 2015, pp. 200-22, Taylor and Francis Online, DOI: 10.1080/14714787.2015.1038437.
Websites
- Clarke, Jay A., and Sarah Kelly Oehler, eds., Whistler Paintings and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2020, website (cat. no. 13).
Notes:
1: Clarke, Jay A., and Sarah Kelly Oehler, eds., Whistler Paintings and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2020, website (cat. no. 13).
2: Inscription on photograph, 'formerly owned by T. R. Way', E. R. and J. Pennell Collection, Library of Congress, Box 32.The drawing has now been mounted and this inscription is inaccessible, according to Stephanie L. Strother, 'Cat. 13 Self-Portrait: Curatorial Entry,' in Whistler Paintings and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago, op. cit.
3: It could possibly have been the drawing sold at auction, Christie's, London, 9 July 1906 (lot 40) as 'A Portrait of the Artist' (11 x 7") and bought by Obach, London dealers but that is more likely to have been r.: Self-portrait; v.: standing woman m0463).