The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

'F. R. L. . . . frill!' dates from between 1878 and 1879.

It refers to the threat by Frederick Richards Leyland (1832-1892), in a letter dated 17 July 1877, to horsewhip Whistler if he met Frances Leyland (1834-1910) again. ¹

Horsewhip, Glasgow University Library

'F. R. L. . . . frill!', Ashmolean Museum

A related sketch, Horsewhip m0661 was drawn on the verso of a draft for a letter dated 4 January 1878. ²

However, it is possible, that, like 'F. R. L.' Frill - of Liverpool begins to be uncertain about the White House m0718 (which is on similar paper), it dates from 1879, during Whistler's bankruptcy proceedings.

It is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 719) where it was dated 'c.1879'.

Images

Subject

Description

A horsewhip!

Technique

Conservation History

'F. R. L. . . . frill!', Ashmolean Museum

'F. R. L.' Frill - of Liverpool begins to be uncertain about the White House,Ashmolean Museum

The paper is identical to 'F. R. L.' Frill - of Liverpool begins to be uncertain about the White House m0718 and has a very pale greenish-grey tinge although it is less shiny on this side.

History

Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death and bequeathed to his sister-in-law, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958);
• 1957: sold by her to Colnaghi, London dealers, 27 April 1957 (#22119);
• 1957: given to the Ashmolean Museum, 12 July 1957.

Exhibitions

It was not 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. 719) as 'F. R. L. . . . frill!'.

Websites

• Ashmolean Museum website at https://collections.ashmolean.org/collection/search as 'Caricature of F.R. Leyland ('Frill of Liverpool').'