Group of three standing figures

Object Details

• Artist

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

• Label

  The very sketchy nature of these figures, along with their casual pose, suggests that they were drawn from life. Moreover, Whistler has not gone over the soft lines with harder, more detailed strokes, so he seems not to have reworked this drawing in his studio. The elaborate headpiece worn by the woman at the left must be made of lace. Such headpieces distinguished different provincial regions of France, and we may speculate that Whistler encountered his subjects during his summer travels in 1858.

• Provenance

  Seymour Haden (1818-1910), London [1]

  To 1898

  H. Wunderlich & Co., New York to 1898 [2]

  From 1898 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from H. Wunderlich & Co., through Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851-1938), in November 1898 [3]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Whistler List, Haden Collection Drawings, pg. 2, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See Voucher No. 20, November 1898, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  James McNeill Whistler at the Freer Gallery of Art—Whistler and Modern Life (May 11, 1984 to December 16, 1984)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Francis Seymour Haden (1818-1910)

  H. Wunderlich & Co. (1874-1912) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  United States

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Drawing

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1850s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Haden, Seymour, H. Wunderlich & Co.

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, American Art, Woman

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Drawings