The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
YMSM 214
Portrait of a Girl
Date
Portrait of a Girl dates from 1879/1880. 1
According to the American artist William Graham (1841-1910), who lent Whistler his studio in Venice 1879/80 when he was painting Portrait of a Boy y211, he found among a heap of debris in his studio a 'piece of heavy stiff paste-board', which he cut in two, and found on the larger square a picture, and 'I was soon engaged with a sponge and a little water, in disclosing from its strata of dust, a Whistler: A freckled faced, red headed girl'. A few days later an artist friend of Graham's said he remembered that one day when he and three others were working from the model in Graham's studio, Whistler entered and said, 'That girl has got a nice head: I would like to have a try at it', and being provided with material, he worked with the others until lunch time. 2
Images
Portrait of a Girl, Whereabouts Unknown
Subject
Titles
One title has been suggested:
- Portrait of a Girl' (1980, YMSM). 3
Description
According to the American artist William Graham (1841-1910) it was the portrait of a girl with red hair and freckles. 4
Sitter
Unknown.
Technique
Technique
Unknown.
Conservation History
According to William Graham (1841-1910), he found among debris in his studio a 'piece of heavy stiff paste-board', which he cut in two, and found on the larger square a picture: 'I was soon engaged with a sponge and a little water, in disclosing from its strata of dust, a Whistler.' 5
Frame
Unknown.
History
Provenance
- 1880/1881: with William Graham (1841-1910), Venice.
According to Graham he found it in his studio in Venice after Whistler's departure, and cleaned it. 6 There is no further reference to it at that time.
Exhibitions
Unknown.
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. 214) as 'Portrait of a Girl'.
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Unpublished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.
Notes:
1: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 214).
2: Reminiscences sent to C. L. Freer, 3 March 1908, Freer Gallery Archives.
3: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 214).
4: Reminiscences sent to C. L. Freer, 3 March 1908, Freer Gallery Archives.
5: Reminiscences sent to C. L. Freer, 3 March 1908, Freer Gallery Archives.
6: Reminiscences sent to C. L. Freer, 3 March 1908, Freer Gallery Archives.