UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

boy, boy standing, clothing, dress, kilt, portrait.

Whistler's original title is not known. The published titles vary only in punctuation, for example:

'Seymour Standing' (1909, Howard Mansfield (1849-1938)). 1
'Seymour, Standing' (1910, Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932)). 2

Kennedy's title, 'Seymour, Standing' (with punctuation) is preferable.

A boy stands facing to the right. He has thick wavy hair, reaching his collar, parted at his right with a heavy fringe. A long black ribbon-like cravat is tied in an untidy bow round his short, turned-down collar. His hands are deep in the pockets of his jacket, which fastens with a single button at the top; he wears a short, buttoned waistcoat; a loosely gathered skirt or 'kilt' reaching just below his knees, trimmed with a broad band or ribbon just above the hem; long plaid socks; and light-weight shoes, possibly dancing shoes. The figure is lit from the right, and casts a shadow to left, which suggests a wall just behind the figure. No other background is indicated.

Francis Seymour Haden, Jr (1850-1918). This would have been drawn in the Haden's house in Sloane Street, London.

Seymour is seen wearing the same dress in Seymour Haden, Jr, Seated [9]. The dress is typical of a middle-class Victorian boy's winter clothes. 3 Kennedy describes the dress as 'Scotch'. 4 However, the kilt is not tartan nor is Seymour wearing a sporran or other specifically Scottish accessories.