The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Portrait of Henry Harrison may have been started in 1859, but not necessarily ever completed.

In a letter from Paris in 1859 to his half-sister Deborah Delano Haden (1825-1908) Whistler wrote,

'I'm working hard and my stay in London with you and Seymour has done me an immense good in "my art" - I have seen Henry Harrison and have begun his portrait which I hope to finish when he returns from England where he has gone for a few days - I have prepared sketches for two pictures and have drawn one of them in on the canvass [sic], all from Nature tell Seymour.' ¹

'Seymour' was Francis Seymour Haden, Sr (1818-1910). There is no further reference to the portrait.

Images

Subject

Titles

Only one title has been suggested:

• 'Portrait of Henry Harrison' (1980, YMSM). ²

Description

A portrait of a young man.

Sitter

William Henry Harrison (1837-1886) was the eldest son of Joseph Harrison (1810-1874) and Sarah Poulterer Harrison (1817-1906). He was born in Philadelphia on 23 December 1837. He had several siblings, Margaret (1839–1923), Alice McNeill (1845-1913), Marie Olga (1847-1848), Theodore Leland (1849-1933), and Clara Elizabeth (1855-1940).

His father, Joseph, was a partner in the firm of Eastwick & Harrison, locomotive manufacturers, in Philadelphia, and arrived in Russia early in 1843. The Harrisons knew the Whistlers in St Petersburg; Alice, Marie and Theodore were born in Russia, and William Henry was at school there at the same time as Whistler's brother, William McNeill Whistler (1836-1900). In 1857 Whistler's mother referred to Harrison senior as a possible patron: 'I hope you mean to practise in your native land your art now being acquired. Both Mr Winans & Harrison are patrons of painting!' ³ The Harrisons maintained contact with Whistler's family thereafter, but it is not known if they purchased any works by Whistler.

William Henry Harrison was a boiler maker. He married Mary Rebecca Orne on 29 April 1859, and they had one son, William Henry Harrison, Jr (1860-1932). The son married Helen Skidmore and had two sons, the diplomat Leland (1883-1951) and Jack. In 1876 William and Mary Harrison visited the Whistlers in London. Whistler's mother Anna Matilda Whistler (1804-1881) described their visit:

'My Son the Doct reported to me lately, how surprised he was by a call from Mr & Mrs Henry Harrison, with their son of 16 yrs of age! a very fine lad! My Son thought the companion of his boyhood, much improved since they had last met in Phila. but his once beautiful wife - less so. However it was pleasant to Willie to talk over by gone scenes, & as his only leisure hour is evening, he was invited to join them at their hotel to dine & chat. Jemie was not in his place when they drove to 2 Lindsay [sic] Houses, so they neither saw him or his paintings, tho I hope they may when in London again, he has been at work steadily decorating the walls at Princes Gate, of Mr Leylands elegant New Mansion.' ⁴

Technique

Technique

The painting was started from life but may never have been completed.

Conservation History

There is no evidence that this portrait was completed.

History

Provenance

Unknown.

Exhibitions

It was never exhibited.

Bibliography

Catalogues Raisonnés

• Young, Andrew McLaren, Margaret F. MacDonald, Robin Spencer, and Hamish Miles, The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, New Haven and London, 1980 (cat. no. 30) as 'Portrait of Henry Harrison'.

Authored by Whistler

• None.

Catalogues 1855-1905

• None.

Journals 1855-1905

• None.

Monographs

• None.

Books on Whistler

• None.

Books, General

• None.

Catalogues 1906-Present

• None.

Journals 1906-Present

• None.

Websites

• None.

Unpublished

• None.

Other

• None.