Documents associated with: 104th exhibition, Ouvrages de peinture, sculpture, architecture, gravure et lithographie des artistes vivants, Palais des Champs Elysées, Paris, 1886
Record 7 of 13
System Number: 00607
Date: 26 March 1886
Author: Theodore Child[1]
Place: Paris
Recipient: JW
Place: [London]
Repository: Glasgow University Library
Call Number: MS Whistler C108
Document Type: ALS
36 Rue de Constantinople
March 26. 1886
My dear Mr Whistler
In your last you have surpassed yourself. Dannat[2] and Lucas[3] and myself chuckled over it with unmixed joy. It is delightful, dainty, fin et délicat. The phantom of Arry[4] must curse you in his sepulchral non-entity c'est le cas de le dire[5].
For the Salon catalogue[6] you must write and sign a letter to be posted to the enclosed two addresses appended, in which letter you must state your demand, adding that you were unable to fill up the usual printed form. I cannot write the letters because they must be signed by you otherwise no notice would be taken of them.
[p. 2] 1st address
catalogue[7]
Secretariat [sic]
société des artistes Français
Palais de l'Industrie
Champs Elysées
Paris
2nd address
Catalogue du Salon.[8]
Monsieur L. Baschet[9]
Librairie d'art
125 Boulevard Saint-Germain 125
Paris
This is all that can be done and I have no doubt that due attention will be given to your letter.
Hoping that this will not be the last occasion I may have of receiving your precious and papillionaceous autograph
I remain cordialement à vous
Theodore Child
This document is protected by copyright.
Notes:
1. Theodore Child
Theodore Child (1846-1892), journalist and art critic [more].
2. Dannat
William Turner Dannat (1853-1929), artist [more].
3. Lucas
George Aloysius Lucas (1824-1909), art dealer in Paris [more].
4. Arry
Henry ('Arry') Quilter (1851-1907), advocate and art critic [more]. Child was alluding to JW's recent attack on Quilter in the press. On 17 February 1886, the news of Quilter's candidature for the Slade Professorship was taken up by the journalist Edmund Yates in his 'Atlas' column in the World (#11400) and he challenged JW to respond. JW responded with enthusiasm and sent two mocking letters to 'Atlas'. By some means, he acquired a copy of Quilter's testimonial (#05099), and quoted extracts of it to 'Atlas'. See also JW to E. Yates, #11401.
5. c'est le cas de le dire
Fr., we can say that.
6. Salon Catalogue
JW sent the portrait, Arrangement in Black: Portrait of Señor Pablo de Sarasate (YMSM 315) to the 104th exhibition, Ouvrages de peinture, sculpture, architecture, gravure et lithographie des artistes vivants, Palais des Champs Elysées, Paris, 1886. Unfortunately it was listed in the catalogue under the title 'Portrait' (cat. no. 2450), much to JW's annoyance. This letter is a reply to #09268.
7. catalogue
Written on left and double underlined.
8. Catalogue du Salon.
Written on left and double underlined.
9. Mons L. Baschet
Ludovic Baschet, art publisher, editor of the Catalogue illustré du Salon from 1880.