r.: Maud Franklin; v.: Study of Maud Franklin date from about 1878. They are dated from the technique, subject and signature.
r.: Maud Franklin, The Hunterian
The drawings are catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 693).
r.: Maud Franklin, The Hunterian
v.: Study of Maud Franklin, The Hunterian
r.: Maud Franklin, The Hunterian
Maud Franklin (1857-1939). On 12 February 1880 Thomas Way (1837-1915) described it as one of 'The two framed studies of Miss F. in the old chair'. 1
The suggestion that it showed Sara Bernhardt (1844-1923) arose at Whistler's bankruptcy sale in 1880. 2 Oscar Wilde bought it at that time and, according to the Pennells, he asked Bernhardt 'to sign it, which she did, writing also that it was very like her.' 3
At the time of the Wilde sale in 1895, D. C. Thomson described it as 'your Drawing of Sara Bernhard' and 'the little drawing with a pen & ink remark on the second glass' but Beatrice Philip (Mrs E. W. Godwin, Mrs J. McN. Whistler) (1857-1896) assured him 'it is not Sarah Bernhardt at all.' 4 Whistler explained that it had been thought to represent Sara Bernhardt 'and she wrote on the glass that she considered it very like!!' 5
r.: Maud Franklin, The Hunterian
v.: Study of Maud Franklin, The Hunterian
Maud Franklin appears in similar poses in two lithographs, Study c004Study: Maud Seated c005, dating from 1878.
The figure on the verso is the opposite way up to that on the recto, and a large pinhole is visible above it.
Short diagonal lines build up the shape of the figure. The highlights are rather bright and out of keeping. The chalk lines were softened by the disturbed fibres of the paper, which has small pieces of wood-stalk in it, and has a vertical grain.
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), who bought this drawing in 1880, asked Sara Bernhardt (1844-1923) to sign it, which she did, on the glass. Wilde wrote from Reading Jail to Alfred Douglas in 1897, regretting that he had been forced to sell this drawing. 6 Whistler did not bid for the other drawings attributed to him in Wilde's 1895 sale (lots 1429-30 ), nor in the second 'crayon' full length figure, which has not been identified nor catalogued separately.
Whistler bought the one drawing through Thomson, describing it as 'a little brown paper drawing that curiously enough I believe he bought at the sale of the White House ... one of the scrapings of the studio as usual - but I daresay pretty - I think Mrs Whistler would like to have it.' 7 Thomson therefore bought it on Whistler's behalf for 15 gns, and Beatrice Philip (Mrs E. W. Godwin, Mrs J. McN. Whistler) (1857-1896) wrote thanking him. 8 But a few months later, Mrs Whistler was seriously ill and they were short of money, so the artist offered r.: Maud Franklin; v.: Study of Maud Franklin m0693 to The Fine Art Society for 25-30 gns. Ernest George Brown (1851-1915) of the F.A.S. agreed to try and sell it but asked Whistler to reduce the price from the 35 gns asked. 9 In the end, it did not sell, and Whistler retained the drawing.
Further details are given in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 693).
By the terms of Miss Birnie Philip's gift, this cannot be lent to another venue.
EXHIBITION:
SALE:
1: Way to Whistler, GUW #06080.
2: Sotheby, London, 12-13 February 1880 (lot 82) described 'perhaps erroneously' as 'Sarah Bernhardt, seated, holding a book'
3: Pennell 1908 [more], vol. 1, p. 260.
4: Thomson to Whistler, 24 and 27 April 1895, GUW #05817 and #05819; Beatrice Whistler to Thomson, [25 April 1895], GUW #08286.
5: Whistler to E. G. Brown, [21 September 1895], GUW #03626
6: Hart-Davis 1962 [more], p. 45.
7: Whistler to Thomson, [24 April 1895], GUW #08304.
8: Thomson to Whistler, 24 April and 29 June 1895, GUW #05817 and #05818; Beatrice Whistler to Thomson, [25 April 1895], GUW #08286.
9: Whistler to E. G. Brown, [21 September 1895], GUW #03626; Brown to Whistler, 19 November 1895, GUW #01312.