The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

A seated lady may date from 1878/1879.

A seated lady, Whereabouts Unknown

Catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 692). It is known to the author only from a photograph.

Images

Subject

Sitter

A seated lady, Whereabouts Unknown

Possibly Maud Franklin (1857-1939).

Technique

Technique

This drawing is known only from a photograph; it appears comparable to r.: Maud Franklin; v.: Study of Maud Franklin m0693 and Study: Seated Figure m0694. It looks unfinished, and possibly rubbed. Its authenticity is not fully established.

History

Provenance

• 1910: possibly sold by John Balli (1849-1914), 2 Rue de berne, Paris, at auction, Christie's, London, 15 July 1910 (lot 32) as 'A Female Study' and bought by 'Draper'.
• 1910: said (by Sotheby's 1962) to have been owned by Henry Harper Benedict (1844-1935);
• 1935: passed to his widow Katherine Geddes Benedict (1879-1961) and daughter Josephine Katherine Benedict, Mrs James Douglass Sharpe (ca 1918-1946);
• 1962: sold at auction, Sotheby's, London, 21 November 1962 (lot 5) as 'A seated lady, a study', bought by Jeremy Stephen Maas (1928-1997), London art dealer;
• 1960s: possibly sold to 'Gerstein'.

The early provenance is unknown.

The correlation in size between A seated lady m0692 (9 1/2 x 6 5/8") and the drawing sold in 1910 (10 x 6") is not very close; in fact other drawings, such as Nude standing m0443 and Study of a seated girl m0697 are closer. However, it is possible that A seated lady m0692 has been trimmed, and the tradition that Benedict was buying his works in 1910 is strong and supports the identification.

Exhibitions

There is no record of an exhibition in Whistler's time.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 692) as 'A seated lady'.

Catalogues 1906-Present

• Sotheby's, London, 21 November 1962 (lot 5) as 'A seated lady, a study'.