The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
M.1479
Gallows design for the cover of 'A Book of Scoundrels' by Charles Whibley
Date
Gallows design for the cover of 'A Book of Scoundrels' by Charles Whibley dates from 1896/1897. The design of a gallows was done for William Heinemann (1863-1920), who published the book in 1896.
Cover of 'A Book of Scoundrels' by Charles Whibley, London, 1896
It is catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1479). The reproduction above shows the book cover, not the drawing, which has not been located.
Images
Cover of 'A Book of Scoundrels' by Charles Whibley, London, 1896
Cover of 'Below the Salt' by C.E. Raimond, London, 1896
Whistler's designs have not been located and are not reproduced.
Subject
Description
Cover of 'A Book of Scoundrels' by Charles Whibley, London, 1896
A gallows frames the title on the cover of the book by Charles Whibley (1859-1930).
Comments
Cover of 'Below the Salt' by C.E. Raimond, London, 1896
According to the Pennells, Whistler also designed the covers for two books by Elizabeth Robins (Mrs. George Richmond Parks) (1862-1952). These were Below the Salt (written under the name of C. E. Raimond) and The Open Question: A Tale of Two Temperaments, both published by Heinemann (1896, 1899). The first bore the silver emblem of a full rigged ship, and the second, two shields. 1 On 12 September 1911 Heinemann said he would let Elizabeth Robins Pennell (1855-1936) have the cover designs, but it is not clear if he meant drawings or the actual covers. 2
Since no drawings have survived, and the designs do not look like Whistler's work, these have not been separately catalogued. Whistler may have done no more than make suggestions.
Technique
Composition
Cover of 'A Book of Scoundrels' by Charles Whibley, London, 1896
Whistler's actual designs for the cover of Whibley's book have not been located. The gallows appear basically unstable, but the cover design is minimal and more elegant the the prose within.
History
Provenance
- 1896: probably sent by Whistler to William Heinemann (1863-1920), the London publisher.
No further provenance is known.
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. 1479) as "Gallows design for the cover of 'A Book of Scoundrels' by Charles Whibley".
Books, General
- Whibley, Charles, A Book of Scoundrels, London, 1896.
Notes:
1: Pennell 1921C [more], p .306; Getscher 1986 [more], p. 80, C.26, C.33.
2: Album in Library of Congress, LC PC 288 #2062.