Skip to main content

The Garden

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Artwork Details

The Garden
1891
James Abbott McNeill Whistler
transfer lithograph on laid paper
11 13/16 x 8 3/4 in. (29.9 x 22.2 cm);11 13/16 x 8 3/4 in. (29.9 x 22.2 cm);22 1/16 x 18 1/8 in. (56 x 46 cm)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
1994/2.14

Description

The Garden
1891
Transfer lithograph
Only state (Way 38; Chicago 40)
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund, 1994/2.14
Whistler’s marriage completed the artist’s close group of friends and family. This work, which conveys the genial social associations that characterized his inner circle, is set in the garden of the couple’s house in London’s Cheyne Walk. The figures depicted include the artist Walter Sickert (1860–1942), Beatrix, and her sister, Ethel. The silvery tonalities and light notational character of the lines underscore the comfortable familiarity of this gathering. Scenes of domestic tranquility and intimate conversation were also featured in a number of prints that Whistler executed in Paris several years later, including scenes set in the garden of their house on the rue du Bac and in the more public setting of the Luxembourg Gardens.

Subject Matter:

This intimate gathering is set in the garden of Whistler's house in Cheyne Walk. Drawn most likely in June of 1891, the scene depicts the following people: Mrs. Brandon Thomas, Walter Sickert (standing), Sidney Starr, Brandon Thomas, Beatrix Whistler, Ethel Birnie Philip.

Physical Description:

Figures are seen seated out of doors around a table in a garden. The table is set with a tea and coffee service and cups and saucers; behind the figures is a screen of trees.

Usage Rights:

If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.