The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Ships dates from after 24 July 1887. It was drawn on a letter from William Henry Hurlbert (1827-1895) to Whistler dated 24 July 1887, in which Hurlbert wrote:

'I hope you had a charming time & have brought back "the British fleet a-riding at anchor, And Admiral Lord Nelson K C B E!' ¹

The fiftieth anniversary of the coronation of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) was celebrated in 1887. Jubilee celebrations included a Naval Review at Spithead on 23 July. Whistler as President of the Society of British Artists was invited to attend. During the day he made twelve etchings, the 'Jubilee Set', as well as a watercolour and pencil sketches.

Ships, Glasgow University Library

It is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1143).

Images

Subject

Description

Ships at sea, flags flying.

Site

The letter suggests that this represented Spithead, though it was not drawn there.

Technique

Composition

Ships, Glasgow University Library

The sketch is a little like the etching Her Majesty's Fleet: Evening [310]. This showed the Naval Review and was being printed by 19 August 1887.

Technique

The letter from Hurlbert was written on the first three sides of the folded sheet, and has nothing to do with the drawing upside down on the fourth side, with the incomplete and enigmatic inscription underneath it. The letter was in black ink but the sketch is in a more purplish shade of ink.

Ships, Glasgow University Library

The sketch is not really consistent with Whistler's style. It could possibly have been by Beatrice Philip (Mrs E. W. Godwin, Mrs J. McN. Whistler) (1857-1896), who married Whistler in the following year.

Conservation History

The sheet was folded, for postage. Holes were punched at the top outside corners, for filing. The edges are soiled.

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

There is no record of any exhibition.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 (cat. no. 1143) as 'Ships.

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 #02213.