The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Sketches of 'The Forge: Passage du Dragon' and 'The Smith: Passage du Dragon' were drawn in a letter from Whistler to Marcus Bourne Huish (1843-1904) of the Fine Art Society, 28 November l895. ¹

Sketches of 'The Forge: Passage du Dragon' and 'The Smith: Passage du Dragon', Glasgow University Library

It was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1450).

Images

Subject

Site

Sketches of 'The Forge: Passage du Dragon' and 'The Smith: Passage du Dragon', Glasgow University Library

The setting of the lithographs was the Passage du Dragon in Paris, but Whistler wrote this letter in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England.

Technique

Composition

Sketches of 'The Forge: Passage du Dragon' and 'The Smith: Passage du Dragon', Glasgow University Library

These sketches show the lithographs The Forge, Passage du Dragon c102 and The Smith, Passage du Dragon c103, which were drawn in Paris in September 1894 and sent to Thomas Way (1837-1915) in London to be printed but proved unsatisfactory until reworked. The relevant part of the letter reads:

'Paris proofs - There ought to be two drawings of Smithies or Forgerons - I mean two different pictures - one, single figure, & the other 3 figures or the upper part of them seen in dark place.' ²

Technique

The tiny drawings are in grey-black ink, the lines running together like wash for dark areas.

History

Provenance

• 1895: sent to Marcus Bourne Huish (1843-1904), of the Fine Art Society, London.
• 1921: sold by James Tregaskis (1850-1926), London book and art dealer (December 1921, cat. no. 413 iii).
• Date unknown: acquired by Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), London;
• 1955: given by Miss Philip to the University of Glasgow.

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. 1450) as 'Sketches of 'The Forge: Passage du Dragon' and 'The Smith: Passage du Dragon''.

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 #02982.