The Visitors' Boat |  Hunterian Art Gallery (46928) | |
| Number: | 303 | |
| Date: | 1887 | |
| Medium: | etching | |
| Size: | 178 x 128 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at lower left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 1 | |
| Known impressions: | 9 | |
| Catalogues: | K.320; M.313; W.237 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (9) | ||
PUBLICATION
Although not published officially, The Visitors' Boat formed part of the 'Jubilee Set'.
EXHIBITIONS
It was first recorded as exhibited by H. Wunderlich & Co. in New York in 1898. 11 Two impressions were then lent to the exhibition organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900 by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) (
) and Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) (). 12
After Whistler's death, impressions were shown in several memorial exhibitions. Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) lent his impression of The Visitors' Boat to the Whistler exhibition in Boston in 1904 (). 13 Full 'Naval Review Sets' were shown in the Memorial Exhibitions held in Paris and, from the Royal Collection, in London () in 1905. 14
) and Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) (). 12 After Whistler's death, impressions were shown in several memorial exhibitions. Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) lent his impression of The Visitors' Boat to the Whistler exhibition in Boston in 1904 (
). 13 Full 'Naval Review Sets' were shown in the Memorial Exhibitions held in Paris and, from the Royal Collection, in London () in 1905. 14 11: New York 1898 (cat. no. 223).
12: Chicago 1900 (cat. nos. 207, 207a).
13: New York 1904a (cat. no. 250).
14: Paris Mem. 1905 (cat. no. 390); London Mem. 1905 (cat. no. 237).
SALES & COLLECTORS
The first sale, less than a month after drawing Troop Ships, was on 20 August 1887 to the London print dealer Thomas M. McLean (b. ca 1832) for £10.10.0. Another went to Messrs Dowdeswell for the same price. In December, Whistler sent two whole sets of the Naval Review etchings to William Craibe Angus (1830-1899) in Glasgow. 15
Whistler had a circle of avid collectors who bought his work, and fine impressions passed from one to another of these collectors as time went on. One impression, for instance, from a set owned by Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge (1845?-1924) of Glasgow, went on to be owned by Henry Harper Benedict (1844-1935), Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932) and Albert Henry Wiggin (1868-1951), from whom it passed to Boston Public Library ().
).Wunderlich's bought regularly from Whistler; they had an impression of Visitors' Boat by May 1888 priced at £10.10.0, and an impression was sold by them ten years later at the same price. They appear to have bought others later, including one in 1900 and one requested in 1903. 16
An impression from the 'Naval Review Set' presented by Whistler to Queen Victoria was lent by Edward VII to the Whistler Memorial Exhibition in 1905. It was then sold on 11 April 1906 through Obach & Co. to Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919), who already had a good impression (). Freer immediately sold the Royal Album to Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), who gave it to the University of Glasgow in 1935 (). 17
A similar set in an album designed by Whistler was given by Walter Stanton Brewster (1872-1954) to the Art Institute of Chicago ().
An impression from the 'Naval Review Set' presented by Whistler to Queen Victoria was lent by Edward VII to the Whistler Memorial Exhibition in 1905. It was then sold on 11 April 1906 through Obach & Co. to Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919), who already had a good impression (
). Freer immediately sold the Royal Album to Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), who gave it to the University of Glasgow in 1935 (). 17 A similar set in an album designed by Whistler was given by Walter Stanton Brewster (1872-1954) to the Art Institute of Chicago (
).