UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

It was published in an album of Cancelled Plates ('Cancelled Set') by The Fine Art Society, London, 1879.

Although comparatively rare it was exhibited widely. The portrait was drawn in 1860 and first exhibited in the following year, at the Royal Academy - with a slightly eccentric title, 'Mons. Oxenfeld, Littérateur, Paris'. F. G. Stephens commented 'An original etching by the same and felicitous hand , portrait of M. Oxenfeld [sic], Littérateur, Paris, should not be overlooked in the Octagon room; where also should be noticed his two remarkable etchings of shipping scenes on the banks of the Thames at London.' 13

It was comparatively well-known, being shown in Liverpool and elsewhere with the collection of James Anderson Rose (1819-1890) in 1874 14 and then in a succession of exhibitions in New York (in 1881, 1898, 1903, 1904), as well as internationals at Chicago in 1893 (lent by Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932)), Buffalo in 1901 and Philadelphia in 1902. 15 Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) lent three impressions, noted as 'very rare' including the 'First trial proof' to the Union League Club in 1881 (, , ). 16 An impression was shown at the Glasgow International Exhibition, 1888, lent by Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge (1845?-1924). 17 Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) bought three impressions that had been exhibited together in Wunderlich's 1898 exhibition (, , ). 18 Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) lent his fine, rich impression of the third state to the exhibition organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900 and to the Pennsylvania Academy of Arts in 1902 (). 19

Impressions were also shown in the principal Memorial Exhibitions after Whistler's death. Mrs Frank Gair Macomber lent an impression to the Boston Memorial in 1904 and an impression of the third state was lent by the Board of Education (it is now in the V&A) to the London Memorial show of 1905 (). 20

A fine, richly printed third state of what was listed as 'Portrait Mons Axenfeldt' was among the first group of Whistler's etchings to be sold to a public collection. It was among 16 etchings sold for a total of £10.10.10 by Francis Seymour Haden, Sr (1818-1910) to South Kensington Museum on 1 January 1861 (). 21 Seymour Haden retained at least three more impressions, one of each state, which were sold through H. Wunderlich & Co. in New York in November 1898 to Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) (, , ). who bequeathed them to the Freer Gallery of Art.

Similarly, three different states were bought by Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904), one inscribed by the artist "1st state - 'Axenfeld' -" (, , ). This was about 1874, judging by the butterfly signature. They went with Avery's collection to form the basis of the Print Collection at New York Public Library.

In an auction at Sotheby's in 1877 the 'Portrait of Mr. Axenfeld' fetched only £0.16.0. In extreme contrast, ten years later a 'brilliant impression' of 'Portrait of Mr. Oxenfeld, holding a cigarette' in the sale of the collection of John W. Wilson (dates unknown) was bought by Alphonse Wyatt Thibaudeau (ca 1840- d.1892) for £17.0.0. 22

Impressions of the third state were bought by the British Museum in 1872 () and given by William Loring Andrews (1837-1927) to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1883 (). Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) owned an impression of the third state - a fine impression with rich burr (), which was later owned by Harris G. Whittemore (d. ca 1937), and then Lessing Julius Rosenwald (1891-1971), who gave it to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.