The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

A sketch of Paintings at Speke Hall was mentioned in a letter from Anna Matilda Whistler (1804-1881) to her sister Kate Palmer on 3 November 1871, when Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother y101 was on view at Speke Hall near Liverpool. ¹

It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 424).

Images

Subject

Description

Whistler's mother described the sketch:

'Jemie sent me a sketch of mine as the centre, Mr Leylands Portrait and a painting of Velasquez the two on either side of mine covering The wall one whole side of the great dining room called the banquetting [sic] hall, and [said] that the two Portraits bore the comparison with the painting of the famous Spanish Artist to his satisfaction.' ²

Comments

In 1871 Frederick Richards Leyland (1832-1892) wanted to add a painting by Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660) to his collection, but Whistler told Leyland that he could not recommend the portrait El Corregidor de Madrid as 'a fine Velasquez'. ³ However, Charles Augustus Howell (1840?-1890) assured Leyland of its authenticity, and by 1872 it hung in the 'Velasquez Room' in Leyland's London house in Princes Gate. ⁴ It was sold, after Leyland's death, at Christie, Manson and Woods on 28 May 1892 (lot 109), but its authenticity was disputed.

Technique

Composition

No drawing by Whistler of Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother y101 nor of Arrangement in Black: Portrait of F. R. Leyland y097, has survived. However, he did draw one painting: see Souvenir of Velázquez m0653.

History

Provenance

• 1871: sent by Whistler to his mother, Anna Matilda Whistler (1804-1881).

Nothing further is known of this sketch.

Exhibitions

It was never exhibited.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 424) as 'Paintings at Speke Hall'.