The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler
YMSM 539
Head of a Child
Date
Head of a Child dates from the autumn of 1900. 1
It was painted in Dublin (or Howth) in Ireland, when Whistler stayed in a house there in the autumn of 1900. Whistler’s ward and executrix, Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), listed 'Head of child (Dublin)' among small oil panels in Whistler’s studio at 8 Fitzroy Street, London, on 16 February 1901. 2
On 1 February 1903 Whistler wrote to Hannah, Mrs E. K. Johnson (1851-1935) of 12 Ladbroke Grove, Holland Park Avenue, London, that John Balli (1849-1914), of 50 Holland Park, could have 'The Irish Girl' (which may have been Dorothy Seton - A Daughter of Eve y552 or Head of a Child y539) when it was completed:
'The Irish Girl & The Neighbours are the two that would be at his disposal if he likes -
When "The Irish Girl" is finished I will let you know & you can bring Mr Balli to the Studio again that he see it -
Of the price, which of course I understood you to ask, I can never say anything until the picture is finished.' 3
Balli bought a small panel, Gold and Orange: The Neighbours y423, at this time for 400gns: since Head of a Child y539 was also a small panel, it could be that Balli was thinking of a work on this scale, rather than the much larger portrait of Dorothy Seton. However, nothing further is known about it.
Images
Head of a Child, Whereabouts Unknown
Subject
Titles
Only one main title has been suggested:
- 'Head of child (Dublin)' (1901, R. B. Philip). 4
- 'Head of a Child' (1980, YMSM). 5
Description
A portrait head.
Sitter
Unidentified.
Technique
Technique
Unknown.
Conservation History
Unknown.
Frame
Unknown.
History
Provenance
Unknown.
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. 539) as 'Head of a Child'.
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Unpublished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. 539).
2: GUL Whistler BP II Ledger c, pp. 5-6.
3: GUW #09891.
4: GUL Whistler BP II Ledger c, pp. 5-6.
5: YMSM 1980 [more] (cat. no. 539).