Isle de la Cité, Paris |  British Museum (1872-07-13-398) | |
| Number: | 63 | |
| Date: | 1859 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 204 x 294 mm | |
| Signed: | 'Whistler -' at lower left | |
| Inscribed: | 'Dec. 1859.' and 'Paris de la Galerie d'Op' at lower left | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 1 | |
| Known impressions: | 11 | |
| Catalogues: | K.60; M.60; T.19; W.55 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (11) | ||
PUBLICATION
It was not published.
EXHIBITIONS
The first known exhibition was in 1881 when 
one impression was lent as 'Paris. From window of Louvre. Unfinished' to the Union League Club in New York by Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904). 19
It was exhibited in New York by H. Wunderlich & Co. in 1898. Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) lent one to the show organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900 (). 20 Both Obach & Co., in London, and Wunderlich's in New York, exhibited impressions in 1903. 21
Impressions were then shown in the Memorial Exhibitions after Whistler's death, in the Grolier Club in New York in 1904 and by the Copley Society in Boston in the same year. One impression from the Royal Collection was shown at the Whistler Memorial show in London in 1905. 22
one impression was lent as 'Paris. From window of Louvre. Unfinished' to the Union League Club in New York by Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904). 19 It was exhibited in New York by H. Wunderlich & Co. in 1898. Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) lent one to the show organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900 (
). 20 Both Obach & Co., in London, and Wunderlich's in New York, exhibited impressions in 1903. 21 Impressions were then shown in the Memorial Exhibitions after Whistler's death, in the Grolier Club in New York in 1904 and by the Copley Society in Boston in the same year. One impression from the Royal Collection was shown at the Whistler Memorial show in London in 1905. 22
19: New York 1881 (cat. no. 78).
20: Chicago 1900 (cat. no. 51). See REFERENCES: EXHIBITIONS.
21: London Obach 1903 (cat. no. 62); New York 1903b (cat. no. 46).
22: New York 1904a (cat. no. 57); Boston 1904 (cat. no. 49); London Mem. 1905 (cat. no. 78).
SALES & COLLECTORS
The British Museum bought an impression from Percy Thomas (1846-1922) on 13 July 1872 (). 23 Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) may have acquired his impression around the same time (). William Drake (1817-1890) owned one that was, much later, bought by Lessing Julius Rosenwald (1891-1971) ().
). 23 Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) may have acquired his impression around the same time (). William Drake (1817-1890) owned one that was, much later, bought by Lessing Julius Rosenwald (1891-1971) ().23: B.M. Print Room Register of Purchases... 1872.
Wedmore noted 'It is so rare that it has scarcely appeared in any sale; but twenty guineas [£21.0.0] were long since offered for it privately.' 24
An 'early impression, rare', from the collection of Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge (1845?-1924) (), was sold at auction in the John W. Wilson (dates unknown) sale at Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge, 22 April 1887 (lot 196) and bought by the London art dealers Messrs Dowdeswell for £5.15.0. Whistler himself sold one on 6 April 1891 to H. Wunderlich & Co. for the comparatively low price of £4.4.0. 25 Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) bought an impression - not a good one, but one that had slipped in the printing and was on dirty and torn paper - in 1903 from Obach & Co., London (). 26
An 'early impression, rare', from the collection of Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge (1845?-1924) (
), was sold at auction in the John W. Wilson (dates unknown) sale at Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge, 22 April 1887 (lot 196) and bought by the London art dealers Messrs Dowdeswell for £5.15.0. Whistler himself sold one on 6 April 1891 to H. Wunderlich & Co. for the comparatively low price of £4.4.0. 25 Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) bought an impression - not a good one, but one that had slipped in the printing and was on dirty and torn paper - in 1903 from Obach & Co., London (). 26 24: Wedmore 1886 A (cat. no. 55).
25: Whistler to H. Wunderlich, 6 April 1891 and 10 June 1891, GUW #13097, #13060.
26: Receipts, 9 December 1903 and 6 January 1904, FGA.
Impressions from the cancelled plate were acquired by several collectors including Francis Bullard (1862-1913) (), John Caldwell (fl. 1887-1907) () and Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge (1845?-1924) ().
), John Caldwell (fl. 1887-1907) () and Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge (1845?-1924) ().