JAMES McNEILL WHISTLER PRINTS

the winter of 1861–62; the painting was bought by
Harris Whittemore, who also owned this impression,
and bequeathed by his descendants to the National
Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Joanna later posed for
Courbet’s painting Le Sommeil.
Weary is one of Whistler’s most ambitious subjects
and one of the last prints he made before he gave up
etching in 1863. It is a romantic and poetic image, both
a departure from his previous subjects and perhaps the
culmination of his printmaking over six years, showing
Jo in a pose described in the simple but expressive title.
At this time Whistler was closely associated with the
Pre-Raphaelites and the influence of Rossetti is apparent.
The two artists had first met in July 1862 and they
were close neighbours after Whistler moved to 7 Lindsey
Row, near Rossetti’s house on Cheyne Walk in Chelsea.
There is a tradition that Weary was inspired by lines from
Rossetti’s poem Jenny:
Why, Jenny, as I watch you there
For all your wealth of golden hair
Your silk ungirdled and unlaced …
This is one of Whistler’s most celebrated works,
made entirely in drypoint and later reinforced with
roulette work in the fifth state as the burr on the plate
showed signs of wear in printing. Although it was
never published, Weary was exhibited widely, first at
the Royal Academy of Arts in 1863 (no.941). The critic
F.G. Stephens wrote in his review that: ‘in the dismal
Octagon Room are placed some of the exquisite drypoint
productions of Mr. Whistler, whose fame the
Royal Academy ignores by placing the marvellous plates
that measure five inches by eight or so, at the top of the
room, one (941) where the sun comes to ruin its delicacy,
even if it could be seen at all’. He wrote later that
‘they deserve noble places and will reward pains taken
to obtain a sight of them … a drypoint, styled Weary,
a lady resting back in her chair, has exquisite tone and
“colour”.’
[46] The Velvet Dress (Mrs Leyland),
1873–74
Etching and drypoint, signed in pencil with a butterfly and
inscribed imp., printed in black ink on Japan paper; in the fifth/
sixth state (of seven)
9 1/8 x 6 1/4 (23.2 x 15.7 cm) sheet 11/2 x 8 inches (29.2 x 20.3 cm)
Provenance: B. Bernard MacGeorge (with his stamp, Lugt 394);
H.H. Benedict (with his stamp, Lugt 1298); C.W. Dowdeswell
(with their stamp, Lugt 690); M. Knoedler, New York (with their
stock number MK 17115); Kennedy Galleries, New York (with their
stock number a 46675)
Reference: Kennedy 105; Glasgow 120
This is one of three drypoints Whistler made showing
Frances Leyland in three of her favorite dresses and it
is one of the first in which he used his butterfly monogram.
The prints may have been intended to help her
decide which of the dresses to wear for her painted
portrait, Symphony in Flesh-colour and Pink: Portrait
of Mrs. Frances Leyland. This is perhaps the most successful
of the etchings; in it, Whistler effectively suggests
the weight and texture of the dress as well as his
sitter’s contemplative expression in a series of spare
lines. The Glasgow catalogue notes that this print “in its
elegant simplicity, [is] as much an icon of the Aesthetic
Movement as Whistler’s oil portrait of the same sitter
…”
A fine, delicately printed impression of this rare etching,
with burr from the drypoint work highlighting Mrs.
Leyland’s face.
68 WOMEN