The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Crowned lion dates from 1887. After the Society of British Artists (SBA) was given a Royal Charter in 1887, Whistler designed a royal lion for the notepaper and catalogues of the new RBA. On 13 August 1887 Edward Desiré Mitchell (1849-1913) of the College of Heralds told Whistler that if a lion was on a crown above a rose it was the Royal badge of England but without the rose, the rest could be altered; the final design (Design for a lion for the RBA m1136), was used on the RBA notepaper by December 1887. ¹

Crowned lion, Glasgow University Library

It is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1133).

Images

Subject

Description

Crowned lion, Glasgow University Library

A lion 'passant guardant', crowned.

Technique

Composition

Crowned lion, Glasgow University Library

There were four drawings in an envelope labelled 'The crowned Lion/ RSBA' in Whistler's hand (Crowned lion m1133, Crowned lion m1134, Crowned lion m1135, Design for a lion for the RBA m1136). It is not certain if any or all of these drawings were actually drawn by Whistler. Individual proofs of the lion are in Glasgow University Library (MS Whistler R190-3).

Technique

This drawing is the earliest design for the royal lion, and did not prove acceptable. It may not be by Whistler himself, although it was kept with the other designs in his studio. It was drawn with a fine nib, carefully crosshatched and detailed, but somewhat juvenile.

Conservation History

The paper has a tear at top right and traces of a fold across the bottom left corner.

History

Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death and bequeathed to his sister-in-law, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958);
• 1955: given by Miss Birnie Philip to the University of Glasgow.

Exhibitions

It was not, as far as is known, 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. 1133) as 'Crowned lion.