Sales catalogue: Sotheby's

Date:
November 1922
Reference:
WA/HMM/CM/Sal/20/539
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sales catalogue: Sotheby's. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    57/110 page 53
    461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 haste,” and with a postscript signed with “butterfly,” Zhe Royal Lion, Lyme Regis, Sunday [1895] A. L.s. with “butterfly,” 14 pp. 4to, Dec. 30, 1895 [n. p.], written soon after the “ Baronet and the Butterfly Case,” in which Sir William Eden brought an action against Whistler for refusing to deliver a portrait of the former’s wife. He mentions Eden: “*... Tlearn that the malice of their fate insists upon both Du Maurier and the Barronet [szc] spending their guineas in the gallery ! I trust that in the case of the Eden sportsman, the Transaction does not take place through the intercession of a ‘friend !’” etc. The letter was written after Whistler’s visit to Lyme Regis, for he speaks of his famous picture, the ‘‘ Master Smith of Lyme Regis”: ‘‘ The ‘ Master Smith’ I want framed for myself, as you noted, I am going to send it down to the old gentleman himself. So when on the mount, and before it is fixed in the frame, it might be sent over to me for it’s little dedication. VERY INTERESTING A. L.s. with “butterfly,” 3rd person, oblong 8vo, 13, Tite Street, Chelsea |n.d.]|, invitation to Corney Grain A. L. s. 2pp. oblong 8vo, Tite Street [n. d.], to Mrs. Huish, refers to one of his exhibitions: The little butterfly that I had reserved for you, I have sent by post —I regret you were not here to wear it defiantly with the brave and beautiful on the great day. A. I. s. 14 pp. oblong 8vo, Tite Street, Monday [c. 1880], speaks of the proofs of his famous © VENICE” series, etc. A.L.s. J. MeN. Whistler, 1 p. oblong 8vo, on a piece of “ Beefsteak Club” notepaper, 13, Tite Street, Chelsea [n. d.|: IT have received the plates. When are you going to send me the cheque? ete. A. L. s. J. MeN. Whistler, 1 p. oblong 8vo, 21, Cheyne Walk, Aug. 7, about payment of a cheque A. L. s. 3 pp. oblong 8vo, in purple ink, 33, Rue de Tournon, Paris, Wednesday, an amusing letter concerning proofs, ete., and mentioning several of his etchings: Of course there still remains a matter of printing from the two plates—‘‘The Doorway” and “‘The Beggars,” also the destroyed plate, ete. Two A. L.s. 6 pp. oblong 8vo, 33, Rue de Tournon, Paris [z. d.|, both concerning damage done to some lithographs : Of course the brutality occurred in the Hnglish custom house... Having the occasion the other day to send some lithographs to the North, I wrote, under the address, the following ‘‘open letter” : ‘“The British Postal Authorities are informed that this parcel con- tains Lithographic drawings. If it be thought necessary to examine the same, they are cautioned to proceed with exceeding care. The heads of the Department are mildly besought to refrain from the simpler methods practised upon a similar package on or about 29th of June last, when 14 proofs on their way to the Fine Arts Society, London, were properly punched and prodded through and through by some zealous coastling in full official pursuit—probing among prints!!!”
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