Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 2 pages
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
This watercolor was presented to George A. Lucas (1824-1909), the art-agent and collector, who subsequently gifted it to Henry Walters in 1908, the year before his death. The model is Maud Franklin, who Whistler met in London, perhaps as early as 1872 when she was just 15 years old. Franklin posed in a kimono as body-double for Mrs. Frances Leyland, who Whistler was painting at this time. Franklin seems to have become romantically involved with the artist during these sittings. After they relocated to France in 1879 Franklin suffered ill health and Whistler depicted her in bed several times (see James McNeill Whistler "Drawings, Pastels, and Watercolours: A Catalogue Raisonné," by Margaret F. MacDonald, pp. 342-344). She was the mother of two chidren with Whistler, but the affair ended in 1888 when he married Beatrix Godwin.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
28499
label
Girl Reading in Bed
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
28499
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Girl Reading in Bed
description
This watercolor was presented to George A. Lucas (1824-1909), the art-agent and collector, who subsequently gifted it to Henry Walters in 1908, the year before his death. The model is Maud Franklin, who Whistler met in London, perhaps as early as 1872 when she was just 15 years old. Franklin posed in a kimono as body-double for Mrs. Frances Leyland, who Whistler was painting at this time. Franklin seems to have become romantically involved with the artist during these sittings. After they relocated to France in 1879 Franklin suffered ill health and Whistler depicted her in bed several times (see James McNeill Whistler "Drawings, Pastels, and Watercolours: A Catalogue Raisonné," by Margaret F. MacDonald, pp. 342-344). She was the mother of two chidren with Whistler, but the affair ended in 1888 when he married Beatrix Godwin.
provenance
Presented to George A. Lucas by the artist, likely before 1886 [1]; given to Henry Walters, Baltimore, 3 August 1908; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.[1] Lucas and Whistler had no personal contact after 1886.
date
1879-1888
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
watercolors (paintings)
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
25
height
17.4
dimensionsRaw
H: 9 13/16 x W: 6 7/8 in. (25 x 17.4 cm); Framed, H: 16 15/16 × W: 8 11/16 × D: 2 3/16 in. (43 × 22 × 5.5 cm)
Source extras
inscriptions
[Inscription] On reverse: This Aquarelle ""Girl reading in bed"" painted by Whistler from his model Maud was presented me by him. G. A. Lucas. Paris - France.
med
watercolor on paper
creator_ids
2099
collection_ids
EAN
exhibition_ids
2160
484
432
2703
2852
2961
3045
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
70b6c8b00aba7e61
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
d296450e47cf0287
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no