The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Arrangement in black and gold dates from 1883/1885.

Arrangement in black and gold, The Hunterian

This work is fully catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 932).

Images

Subject

Sitter

Arrangement in black and gold, The Hunterian

Millie Finch (fl. 1875-1885).

Technique

Technique

Arrangement in black and gold, The Hunterian

The Hunterian website states: 'It has been noted that the opacity of the paint enabled Whistler to reinforce his subtle tones and obtain effects similar to oil.' ¹

See MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 932).

History

Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death and bequeathed to Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958);
• 1935: given by Miss Philip to the University of Glasgow.

Exhibitions

• 1886: probably 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Second Series, Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1886 (cat. no. 71) as 'Arrangement in black and gold'.
• 1889: probably “Notes” – “Harmonies” – “Nocturnes”, H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, 1889 (cat. no. 7) as 'Yellow and Black',
• 1904: possibly Ouvrages de Peintures, Sculpture, Dessin, Gravure, Architecture et Objets d'Art, 14th exhibition, Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1904 or Œuvres de James McNeill Whistler, Palais de l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1905.

'Yellow and Black' was priced at 50 guineas in 1889, but remained unsold, and was returned to Whistler after the exhibition by Wunderlich's on the SS Servia. ²

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 932) 'Arrangement in black and gold'.

Catalogues 1855-1905

• Probably 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Second Series, Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1886 (cat. no. 71) as 'Arrangement in black and gold'.
• Probably “Notes” – “Harmonies” – “Nocturnes”, H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, 1889 (cat. no. 7) as 'Yellow and Black'.
• Possibly Œuvres de James McNeill Whistler, Palais de l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1905.

Catalogues 1906-Present

• Aquarellen, Pastels, Teekingen, Etsen, Lithographien en een Schilderij door James McNeill Whistler, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 1906 (cat. no. 6) as 'Black and Gold, Millie Finch'.

Websites

• The Hunterian website at http://collections.gla.ac.uk.