The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Framed etchings were drawn in a letter from Whistler to Alfred Chapman (1839-1917) dated 9 August 1878, the relevant section reading:

You are quite right about the frames - have them black - narrow - with a thin flat of gold - fine large white margin - the etching rather high (you will notice how I have mounted them myself) and the window mount cut close up to the plate itself - showing no margin of the etching paper -

like this [drawing, inscribed:] Window mount.

[written under drawing:] Frame -

not like this. [drawing, inscribed:] Window mount -

[written under drawing:] Frame' ¹

Framed etchings, Library of Congress

It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 703).

Images

Subject

Description

Framed etchings, Library of Congress

Two frames designed for Whistler's etchings are drawn within the text of the letter.

Technique

Frame

Framed etchings, Library of Congress

The drawings are part of the letter and drawn with the same pen and ink as the letter. In the letter Whistler discusses the correct mounting and framing of his etchings. He later changed the design of frames for etchings to include narrow incised lines running the length of the slender wooden frames. ²

History

Provenance

• 1878: drawn in a letter from Whistler at 28 Wimpole Street (Dr. W. Whistler's house) to Alfred Chapman (1839-1917) on 9 August 1878.
• Date unknown: acquired for the E. R. and J. Pennell Collection in the Library of Congress.

Exhibitions

It has not been exhibited.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 703) as 'Framed etchings'.

Websites

• The Correspondence of James McNeill Whistler, 1855-1903, edited by Margaret F. MacDonald, Patricia de Montfort and Nigel Thorp; including The Correspondence of Anna McNeill Whistler, 1855-1880, edited by Georgia Toutziari. Online edition, University of Glasgow, 2003-2005. GUW #07966.

Other

• Parkerson, Sarah Lawrence, Variations in Gold: The Stylistic Development of the Picture Frames used by James McNeill Whistlers, PhD thesis, University of Glasgow, 2007.