UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Lagoon: Noon was published by Messrs Dowdeswell and Alphonse Wyatt Thibaudeau (ca 1840- d.1892) with A Set of Twenty-six Etchings (the 'Second Venice Set') in 1886.

Whistler delivered in all 1093 prints and was paid £2.10.6 for printing each dozen prints. 8

Lagoon: Noon was first exhibited at the Fine Art Society, London in 1883 and at the reprise of that show by H. Wunderlich & Co. in New York in the same year, before being published in the 'Second Venice Set', by Messrs Dowdeswell and Thibaudeau in 1886. In the catalogue designed by Whistler for the 1883 show he added short excerpts from earlier reviews that provided ironical contrasts or complements to the prints on show. In this case, it was the final work in the show and so was followed by comments that may have been meant to complement this etching, merging with comments relating to Whistler's work in general. The quotations were taken from earlier reviews by Sidney Colvin (1845-1927), Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921) and Henry Quilter (1851-1907), and were punctuated by 'Reflections' by Whistler, signed with a butterfly with long barbed tail:

The quotation that was, according to Whistler, by 'Arry in the "Times." actually came from Whistler's press-cutting books, where it was identified as from the 1880 review of the 'First Venice Set' in the Spectator. 10 It was definitely not the Times review of the same show, although that did express similar sentiments about Whistler's representation of the 'degradation' rather than the beauty of Venice. 11

Frequently the earlier reviews reprinted in the 1883 catalogue attracted more attention from the journalists of 1883 than the works themselves, and Lagoon: Noon, being towards the end of the show, attracted no other attention at all. After repeating Wedmore's acid comment, the Sunday Times, however, added 'One thing is certain, Mr. Whistler has achieved that popularity which is seldom accorded to failures, and is able to stand without aid, proffered or otherwise.' 12

Finally, having stabbed his foes, the critics, with an assortment of quotations, Whistler turned to the business of printing his etchings, and did not actually exhibit them very much after this. He concentrated on selling, and it was his patrons who organised some exhibitions of the prints.

For instance, impressions were lent by both Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) () and Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) (), to a show organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900. 13 An impression was also shown at the Glasgow International Exhibition in 1901 (lent by James Cox-Cox (ca 1849- d.1901)) which was largely organised by artists and collectors.

Print dealers who exhibited impressions of Lagoon: Noon included H. Wunderlich & Co. in 1883, 1898, and 1903 (twice), Obach & Co., also in 1903, and Frederick Keppel (1845-1912) of F. Keppel & Co. in 1902 and 1904. 14

After Whistler's death, impressions were shown in Memorial Exhibitions in Boston, organised by the Copley Society, and lent by Howard Mansfield (1849-1938), in 1904; at the Grolier Club, New York, also in 1904; and in Paris and - lent by Henry Studdy Theobald (1847-1934) - in London in 1905. 15

Whistler sold an impression of Lagoon: Noon on 28 August 1882 to the London print dealer, Thomas M. McLean (b. ca 1832) for £4.4.0. 16 After publication most impressions were sold by the publishers, Messrs Dowdeswell and Thibaudeau, or by them through other dealers to collectors. Dowdeswell's even gave a set to the British Museum in 1887 (). F. Keppel & Co. sold an impression to Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) in 1887 (). Thibaudeau sold a set in 1888 through H. Wunderlich & Co., New York, which was bought by Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) in 1890 ().

However, years later, Whistler sold an impression in September 1897 to H. Wunderlich & Co. for £6.6.0. 17 This may have been the impression acquired by Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) (stock no. a 28976) who owned it by 1900 (). Other American collectors included Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) (); George Aloysius Lucas (1824-1909) () and Henry Harper Benedict (1844-1935) ().

Shortly before his death, the artist sold an impression on 20 April 1903 to another London print dealer, Robert Dunthorne (b. ca 1851) for a comparatively high price - £10.10.0. 18 Whistler also bequeathed one to Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) from whom it passed to the University of Glasgow ().

At auction prices for single impressions were much lower. A single impression was sold from the collection of the late Joshua Hutchinson Hutchinson (ca 1829 - d.1891) at Sotheby's, 3 March 1892 (lot 281) and bought by Frederick Keppel (1845-1912) for only £1.2.0. 19 The whole set, however, fetched a substantial amount. One set 'in a folio' was sold from the collection of Mrs Edward Fisher of Abbotsbury, Newton Abbot at Christie’s, 13-14 July 1897 (lot 316) to Colnaghi's for £82.0.0.