The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

M.1329
Designs for the catalogue 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces'

Artist: James McNeill Whistler
Date: 1892
Collection: Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Accession Number: Manuscript Division, Pennell-Whistler Collection, PWC 3
Medium: pen and black ink
Support: cream wove paper, watermark '[CPL] Marchais', f.s.
Size: 12 3/16" x 16 5/8" (310 x 422 mm)
Signature: butterfly, and 'J McN Whistler' on letter
Inscription: r. and v.: letter, see SUBJECT; 'The Goupil Gallery' and dated, '1892', probably by D. C. Thomson; v.: stamped 'GOUPIL & COMPANY/ 7 March 1892'

Date

Designs for the catalogue 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces' were drawn on a letter from Whistler to David Croal Thomson (1855-1930) dated 1 March 1892. ¹

Designs for the catalogue 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces', Library of Congress

This is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1329).

Images

Designs for the catalogue 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces', Library of Congress

Subject

Description

Designs for the catalogue 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces', p. 1, Library of Congress

This design was for the catalogue of Whistler's retrospective exhibition, Nocturnes, Marines & Chevalet Pieces, Goupil Gallery, London, 1892. The relevant section of the first side reads:

'Small Collection / of / Nocturnes / Marines, & Chevalet Pieces /by / Mr Whistler / at / The Goupil Galleries / for three weeks only. / [butterfly signature]

Messrs Boussod, Valladon [sic] & Co. / 'The Goupil Gallery' / 116. 117. New Bond Street / Saturday. March. 19.

Send proof.

If you have this enlarged in exactly these proportions, you will then produce the most distinguished thing in Posters I have yet seen - The white appearance of the whole will be its characteristic.'

Designs for the catalogue 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces', p. 3, Library of Congress

The relevant text on p. 3 reads:

[upper left:]

'Catalogue Cover - / Front /

Nocturnes, / Marines & Chevalet Pieces / [butterfly signature]/ J McNeill Whistler / Chelsea -'

[upper right:]

'First title page inside -

Small collection / of / Nocturnes / Marine & Chevalet Pieces / Kindly loaned / by / Their Owners / [butterfly signature] Smaller Butterfly'

[lower left:]

'Back

Messrs Boussod Valadon & Co. / The Goupil Galleries / London'

[lower right:] 'All type in Italics as usual - Mr Way knows.'

Technique

Conservation History

Designs for the catalogue 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces', p. 1, Library of Congress

The designs were drawn on sides 1 and 3 of a large sheet of notepaper, which was then folded in quarters to be sent to Thomson, the folds now being torn.

History

Provenance

1892: sent by Whistler to David Croal Thomson (1855-1930), London art dealer;
Date unknown: probably acquired from Thomson by Elizabeth Robins Pennell (1855-1936) and Joseph Pennell (1860-1926);
1927/1936: given to the Library of Congress.

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. 1329) as "Designs for the catalogue 'Nocturnes, Marines and Chevalet Pieces' ".

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 #08359.

Notes:

1: 1 March [1892], GUW #08359.