James McNeill Whistler: Peasant Woman

James McNeill Whistler: Peasant Woman
James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834-1903): Peasant Woman. Oil on board, unsigned, with gallery label (including acquisition number and donor) from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston verso, framed.

After the Publication of John Ruskin's Stones of Venice, many notable artists, James McNeill Whistler included, flocked to Venice to capture the splendor of which Ruskin wrote. Unlike many of his contemporaries, however, Whistler was not enamored with the Gothic architecture for which the city had garnered its fame and instead sought to depict the poverty-stricken areas of the city, which he referred to as the "Venice of the Venetians."

Whistler's Venetian subjects- many of whom were women at work- almost always are placed within their familiar, local environment. Women with their wash hang their faded clothing over the balconies and spill out into the street, and groups of mothers string beads together while overseeing their kids playing in a flagstone alley. Whistler's style of depicting the true aesthetic nature of the city and mundane lives of the lower class of Venice was deemed both jarring and revolutionary and gained Whistler many pupils, most notable Otto Bacher, in Venice who sought to emulate his style and learn at the hands of a master.

Portrait of a Girl is a striking piece that fits neatly within the scenes Whistler sought to depict during his time in Venice. Rather unusual, however, is the medium, as Whistler was only able to fund his travel to Venice after a bankrupting libel lawsuit, ironically against John Ruskin, with the assistance of the Fine Art Society, which commissioned a dozen etchings of Venice from the artist. With money at premium, the vast majority of his work from his time in Venice are etchings, many of which have been widely circulated, and intricate pastel and chalk drawings, most of which focus more on the essence of the city than individual people. Finding an oil painting of this quality from this point in Whistler's career is quite remarkable and may prove to be a unique opportunity.

Upon returning to England, Whistler's time in Venice was touted as a success. His etchings were met with critical acclaim and solidified his position in the uppermost echelons of the London art scene. Furthermore, Whistler's novel approach inspired future generations of etchers until the conclusion of the etching revival in 1930.

Provenance:
The piece was gifted to Mr. Ritter, an acquaintance of Whistler's in Venice, in 1880 by the artist, who in turn sold it to Robert Day Andrews c.1892.

Portrait of A Girl was donated to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1882 by Robert Day Andrews, a preeminent Boston architect who was responsible for the restoration of Bulfinch's Massachusetts State House. Andrews was equally as known for his advocacy for the arts: championing the Society of Arts & Crafts, for which he was a charter member and active member of its council.

The piece was de-accessioned from the Museum of Fine Arts and was acquired by the current owners in 1994.

Literature:
The earliest the piece shows up in the written literature of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is in The 14th Annual Report of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 1917 where it was listed as inventory number 19.6 Portrait of a Girl by James A. McNeill Whistler. This work was subsequently exhibited in a 1934 exhibition curated around a loan of Arrangement in in Gray and Black (colloquially known as Whistler’s Mother) from the Louvre of “Oils, Water-Colors, Drawings, and Prints by James McNeill Whistler at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” and is listed as entry 27 in the rather abbreviated catalogue. It is found again as entry 1024, Study of a Girl, in the museum’s 1969 publication of American Paintings in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

NOTE: Please note that this painting will not be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonne of Whistler's oil paintings, being compiled by Margaret Mac Donald. Ms. Mac Donald is known for having opinions which conflict with those of other scholars, and we present this painting on the strength of its provenance and the research of our staff and the painting's owners. 6 1/2 x 12 3/4" board, 9 1/2 x 15 3/4" frame