The Tall Flower

Object Details

• Artist

  James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

• Description

  On the verso: A female nude figure, standing with bent head, holding a fan; signed with the butterfly at right. On the recto: floral design for a wall decoration, indicative of the artist's interest in Rococo interior décor.

• Signatures

  Brown butterfly below center at left edge

• Paper/Support

  On a cold-pressed, wove paper. Graphite crop lines along top and right edges.

• Provenance

  To 1904

  Obach & Co., London, to 1904 [1]

  From 1904 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Obach & Co. in 1904 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Whistler List, Paintings, pg. 20, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] 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 as Decorator (May 11, 1984 to December 5, 1984)

  Untitled Exhibition, Whistler Paintings and Drawings (December 14, 1955 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Works of Whistler (September 22, 1947 to April 11, 1955)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Obach & Co. (1884-1911) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  United States

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1880s, 1870s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Obach & Co.

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Crop marks, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, American Art, Bone black, Nudity, Prussian blue, Zinc white, Woman, Cerulean blue, Raw umber

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Paintings