Essay by Stephanie Loria, Class of 2011 and Catherine Carter Goebel, Editor

James McNeill Whistler composed the original drawing for this transfer lithograph using inspiration from his own backyard. When Whistler and his wife Beatrix moved into their Paris home at 110 Rue de Bac, they focused their time and energy on making the garden the focal point of their property. It was here where they hosted many friends and family, which is likely why Whistler chose to commemorate these visits artistically. This particular work shows Beatrix's sister, Ethel Birnie Philip, with Ethel's husband, Charles Whibley, in the very same garden in which they took their wedding photos.

Here, they are enjoying a convivial picnic among prevalent flora and fauna in typical nineteenth-century fashion. This generally included a linen tablecloth, crystal, silver, china, fine wine and food. Like Whistler's scenes from the Luxembourg Gardens, the gracious atmosphere created here is truly Parisian. The couple is given no more attention than the objects on the table before them or the trees behind them. The shady relief offered from a summer in the city cools the composition, and the whole speaks of an idyllic environment for the Whistlers and their visiting relatives.

Because there is no discrimination in the amount of attention given to both the people and the garden, this style of portrayal is similar to that of the Nabis movement, well-known for depictions of women in intimate spaces. At times it is difficult to separate the people from their environments. While Whistler applied his immense skill in varying tonalities here, the people themselves are partially obscured by somewhat-abstracted plant-life. Whistler selectively composed outlines of trees and bushes to create varying interest in the work. Although these comprise simple and slightly abstracted forms, there is a certain focal point in the work. Ethel is placed in the center, possibly because she was Whistler's favorite of his wife's relatives. She is encased in a shadow which provides cool and calm to the work and showcases Whistler's talent in this medium.

During this period, Whistler produced a number of lithographs in collaboration with printer Thomas Way. Beatrix encouraged him to pursue this medium and clearly inspired subjects that reflect such domestic bliss. Unfortunately, however, this fragile beauty would soon be shattered by the first symptoms of Beatrix's cancer, appearing during the fall of this year. Following her death in 1896, Whistler never again created lithographs.