Venus |  Freer Gallery of Art (1898.295) | |
| Number: | 60 | |
| Date: | 1859 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 153 x 230 mm | |
| Signed: | 'Whistler.' at lower left | |
| Inscribed: | '1859.' at lower left | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 2 | |
| Known impressions: | 27 | |
| Catalogues: | K.59; M.59; T.27; W.56 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (27) | ||
PUBLICATION
Venus was not published.
EXHIBITIONS
Surprisingly little known, it was exhibited mostly by print dealers - by H. Wunderlich & Co. in New York in 1898 and 1903, and by Obach & Co. in London in 1903. 12 An impression was also shown in the Whistler Memorial Exhibition in London in 1905. 13
Why was it so little shown: was it thought to be improper? Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921) disapproved of the subject and treatment, and described this etching as 'the nude seen by Mr Whistler with rather common eyes, for once - an animal, whom sleep has overcome.' 14 The critic's view may have influenced exhibiting societies, thought it clearly did not have much influence on later collectors and dealers.
Why was it so little shown: was it thought to be improper? Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921) disapproved of the subject and treatment, and described this etching as 'the nude seen by Mr Whistler with rather common eyes, for once - an animal, whom sleep has overcome.' 14 The critic's view may have influenced exhibiting societies, thought it clearly did not have much influence on later collectors and dealers.
12: New York 1898 (cat. no. 53); see REFERENCES: EXHIBITIONS.
13: London Mem. 1905 (cat. no. 56).
14: Wedmore 1886 A (cat. no. 56).
SALES & COLLECTORS
The earliest dateable sale was the purchase of an impression by the British Museum from Percy Thomas (1846-1922) on 13 July 1872 (
). This was an impression of the first state; the Museum acquired a second state in 1903 ().
). This was an impression of the first state; the Museum acquired a second state in 1903 ().At the sale of the collection of Joseph Fioupou (1814-1884)
at the Hotel Drouot, Paris, 31 March 1884 (lot 285) 'Figure de femme penchée' described as 'Epreuve avec les traveaux à la pointe sèche très apparents, sur japon' (proof with conspicuous drypoint work) was bought by Edmond Gosselin (1849-1917) for 17 fr.
At the sale of the collection of the late Joshua Hutchinson Hutchinson (ca 1829 - d.1891) at Sotheby’s, 3 March 1892 (lots 106, 107) an 'early proof, full of burr, on Japanese paper', and a second, similar, impression, were bought by 'Barr' for quite low prices, £0.12.0 and £0.9.0 respectively.
Collectors included Francis Seymour Haden, Sr (1818-1910), sold through Wunderlich's to Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) (); Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) (); Jules Gerbeau (d. 1906) and Otto Gerstenberg (1848-1935) (); Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge (1845?-1924), whose impression was sold through H. Wunderlich & Co. for $250 in 1903, and later bought by Harry Brisbane Dick (1855-1916) (); Charles Deering (1852-1927) (); Guy John Fenton Knowles (1879-1959) (); and Lessing Julius Rosenwald (1891-1971) (, ).
); Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) (); Jules Gerbeau (d. 1906) and Otto Gerstenberg (1848-1935) (); Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge (1845?-1924), whose impression was sold through H. Wunderlich & Co. for $250 in 1903, and later bought by Harry Brisbane Dick (1855-1916) (); Charles Deering (1852-1927) (); Guy John Fenton Knowles (1879-1959) (); and Lessing Julius Rosenwald (1891-1971) (, ).