UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

clothing, dress, fashion, fur, portrait, woman, woman seated.

Variations on the title are as follows:


'Fur tippet' (1888, Whistler). 4
'Fur Tippet Miss Lenoir' (1890/1891, Whistler). 5
'Woman Seated' (1899, Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921)). 6
'Miss Lenoir' (1902, Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932)). 7


'The Fur Tippet: Miss Lenoir' is based on the titles used by Whistler and those preferred by later cataloguers.

A three-quarter length portrait of a seated woman who sits turned a little to the left, but twisting to look slightly to the right. She wears a dark coat, a fur tippet and a hat with a sharply tilted brim, decorated with a tall arrangement of feathers and possibly ribbons.

Helen Lenoir (1852-1913). Whistler was in frequent contact with Miss Lenoir, partly because she was business manager for Richard D'Oyly Carte (1844-1901). Whistler was in discussion with them concerning his own paintings, about plans for a lecture tour, and about the decoration of the Savoy Hotel, which was then under construction, and where he etched Savoy Scaffolding [317].

Wedmore described it as 'A slight etching of a woman seated - three-quarters length - dressed for walking. About the period of 'The Muff,' but less desirable.' 8 The Muff [131] is a good comparison (though not necessarily more 'desirable'!), showing a lady with a fur trimmed jacket. Their titles emphasize the importance of the dress and hat, fashionable items which are equally prominent in several other prints including A Lady wearing a hat with a feather [118], The Little Hat [366] and The Busby [368] and (in a different way) The Bonnet-Shop [254]. A fur tippet or collar appeared in late states of Maud, Standing [169], and fur is also the subject of The Fur Cloak - Mrs Herbert [367].