The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Lizzie Willis was drawn on a letter from Whistler (the 'General') in London to Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) in Paris, postmarked 16 January 1897. ¹ The drawing relates to the New Year celebrations of Whistler's servants..

It was catalogued in MacDonald 1995 (cat. rais.) [more] (cat. no. 1501).

Images

Subject

Sitter

Lizzie Willis, Glasgow University Library

Elizabeth Willis (fl. 1890/1900). The relevant part of the letter reads:

'Conversation this afternoon with Lizzie - simple English child - . . . . . . "Yes - and we had another New Years present last night! - - . . a quarter bottle of Whisky" - . .

Oh - I said, and who had that? -

"Why Daddy and Mother of course" - .

Well, I said, but what should you know about it? - "Why I had some too of course!" - Did you indeed? and how much? - "Well I had a glass to myself - Scotch it was - t'was good! I always has // it - and gin sometimes - and rum - but I likes whisky best I does - " . . . But I said doesn't it make you tipsy! - "Oh - gigle! gigle [sic] - I was drunk once!!" . . . and then the infant became inarticulate in the merriment of her recollections.' ²

Little Juniper Bud - Lizzie Willis, The Hunterian

She posed for the appropriately titled Little Juniper Bud - Lizzie Willis y475.

Technique

Technique

Lizzie Willis, Glasgow University Library

The drawing is on the fourth side of the letter, and in the same ink.

History

Provenance

• 1903: in Whistler's studio at his death in 1903 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 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. 1501) as 'Lizzie Willis'.

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 #04698.