The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
YMSM 248
Harmony in Yellow and Brown: Sunday
Date
Harmony in Yellow and Brown: Sunday was probably painted in 1884. 1
It was first exhibited in Whistler's one-man show, 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1884 (cat. no. 42).
Street in Old Chelsea, Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Contemporary descriptions are not clear enough to identify it with certainty, but it could be Street in Old Chelsea y249.
Images
Harmony in Yellow and Brown: Sunday, Whereabouts unknown
Street in Old Chelsea, Boston Museum of Fine Arts
An Orange Note: Sweet Shop, Freer Gallery of Art
Harmony in Brown and Gold: Old Chelsea Church, Freer Gallery of Art
Subject
Titles
Only one title has been suggested:
- 'Harmony in yellow and brown – Sunday' (1884, Dowdeswell). 2
- 'Harmony in Yellow and Brown: Sunday' (1980, YMSM). 3
The punctuation was changed to conform with other titles, so that the preferred title is 'Harmony in Yellow and Brown: Sunday'.
Description
The Globe described it as one of several 'studies made in the streets about Chelsea ... rows of old houses.' 4
Site
Chelsea, London, UK.
Technique
Technique
The Globe described the technique:
'Mr Whistler's fine sense of colour and his power of rapidly recording his impression of a scene, are ... best shown in his studies made in the streets about Chelsea. ... admirable studies, most harmonious in tone, produced with little apparent labour, but conveying an impression of completeness.' 5
Conservation History
Unknown.
Frame
Unknown.
History
Provenance
Unknown.
Exhibitions
- 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1884 (cat. no. 42) as 'Harmony in yellow and brown – Sunday'.
An Orange Note: Sweet Shop, Freer Gallery of Art
Harmony in Brown and Gold: Old Chelsea Church, Freer Gallery of Art
The Globe compared Harmony in Yellow and Brown: Sunday y248 with An Orange Note: Sweet Shop y264 and Harmony in Brown and Gold: Old Chelsea Church y305:
'Mr Whistler's fine sense of colour and his power of rapidly recording his impression of a scene, are ... best shown in his studies made in the streets about Chelsea. The rows of old houses, "Sunday," "Old Chelsea Church", and the little "Sweet Shop" ... are admirable studies, most harmonious in tone, produced with little apparent labour, but conveying an impression of completeness.' 6
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. 248) as 'Harmony in Yellow and Brown: Sunday'.
Authored by Whistler
- None.
Catalogues 1855-1905
- 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1884 (cat. no. 42) as 'Harmony in yellow and brown – Sunday'.
Newspapers 1855-1905
- Anon., 'Mr. Whistler's Exhibition', Globe, London, 20 May 1884, p. 6.
Journals 1855-1905
- None.
Monographs
- None.
Books on Whistler
- None.
Books, General
- None.
Catalogues 1906-Present
- None.
Journals 1906-Present
- None.
Websites
- None.
Unpublished
- Revillon, Joseph Whistler, Draft Catalogue Raisonné of the Paintings of J. McN. Whistler, [ca 1945-1955], Glasgow University Library (cat. no. 456).
Other
- None.
Notes:
1: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 248).
2: 'Notes' - 'Harmonies' - 'Nocturnes', Messrs Dowdeswell, London, 1884 (cat. no. 42).
3: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 238).
4: Globe, London, 25 May 1884; press cutting in GUL Whistler PC 7, p. 14.
5: Globe, London, 25 May 1884; press cutting in GUL Whistler PC 7, p. 14.
6: 'Mr. Whistler's Exhibition', Globe, London, 20 May 1884, p. 6; press cutting in GUL Whistler PC 7, p. 14.