The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Sketch of 'Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks' was drawn on the verso of a letter from Whistler, possibly to Horace Henry Cauty (1846-1909), probably in February 1887. ¹

Sketch of 'Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks', Library of Congress

It is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1105). This record has been revised.

Images

Subject

Description

Sketch of 'Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks', Library of Congress

A rough memory sketch of Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks y047, which shows a seated woman facing left, decorating a tall vase.

Technique

Composition

Sketch of 'Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks', Library of Congress

Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks, Philadelphia Museum of Art

It was probably in February 1887 that Whistler, then President of the Society of British Artists, was in discussions with the Society regarding the possibility of a retrospective exhibition. However, when he was forced to resign as president, the idea of an exhibition was abandoned. This list, possibly sent to Horace Henry Cauty (1846-1909), gave the misspelt names and addresses of several private collectors, plus, in this case, a rough sketch of Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks y047. The relevant section reads:

[p. 1] 'Ask for all my pictures -

Write to ...

Leithard [sic] - somewhere about Newcastle Lange Lize girl painting.'

[p. 2, drawing] ²

Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks was then owned by James Leathart (1820-1895), and was exhibited in Newcastle in 1887.

Similar notepaper was used for Interior of the British Artists exhibition m1123 and Interior of the British Artists exhibition m1124, which also involve paintings that Whistler planned to exhibit at the Suffolk Street galleries of the Society of British Artists.

Conservation History

The letter was written in black ink and pencil on the first side, and the drawing is in pencil, rather rubbed, on the verso. The sheet was folded twice more, and the folds are dirty.

History

Provenance

• 1886/1887: drawn on the verso of a letter that may have been sent to Horace Henry Cauty (1846-1909) at the Society of British Artists.
• 1951: bought from the Pennell Fund for the Library of Congress, 31 January 1951.

It is unlikely that it was sent, as suggested in 1995, to David Croal Thomson (1855-1930).

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. 1105) as "Sketch of 'Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks' ".

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, 2003-2004. GUW #08188.