The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler

Date

Portrait of Miss Philip dates from 1903. ¹ On 28 May 1903 one of the Pennells – it is not clear whether this was Elizabeth Robins Pennell (1855-1936) or Joseph Pennell (1860-1926) – described seeing a painting in Whistler’s studio, 'a portrait of Miss Philip which he started some months ago, and is now making into the most beautiful portrait of her I have seen – a blue gown with dull yellow beads about her neck.' ²

Images

Subject

Titles

Only one title has been suggested:

• 'a portrait of Miss Philip' (1921, Pennell). ³
• 'Portrait of Miss Philip' (1980, YMSM). ⁴

Description

It was described by the Pennells as 'a portrait of Miss Philip ... a blue gown with dull yellow beads about her neck.' ⁵ No portrait of this description is known.

Sitter

Miss Rosalind Birnie Philip, GUL Whistler PH1/31

Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), Whistler's youngest sister-in-law, his ward and executrix. She was the model for many portraits, including The Jade Necklace y478, Miss Rosalind Birnie Philip Standing y479, Portrait of Miss Philip in Black y480 and The Black Hat - Miss Rosalind Birnie Philip y535. Lithographs of her include The Medici Collar c170. Dress was an important component in several of these portraits, but none show the colours (blue and yellow) described by the Pennells.

Harmony in Blue and Violet: Miss Finch, The Hunterian

It is possible that in this portrait Whistler wished to return to the 'Blue Girl' theme initiated over 30 years earlier. It is worth noting that several earlier studies in blue were in Whistler's studio at this time, including The Blue Girl: Portrait of Connie Gilchrist y207 and Harmony in Blue and Violet: Miss Finch y239, which were given by Miss Birnie Philip to the Hunterian.

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. 553) as 'Portrait of Miss Philip'.

Authored by Whistler

• None.

Catalogues 1855-1905

• None.

Journals 1855-1905

• None.

Monographs

• None.

Books on Whistler

• Pennell, Elizabeth Robins, and Joseph Pennell, The Whistler Journal, Philadelphia, 1921, p. 287.

Books, General

• None.

Catalogues 1906-Present

• None.

Journals 1906-Present

• None.

Websites

• None.

Unpublished

• None.

Other

• None.