DOI issue:
February 12, 1881
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17750#0077
February 12, 1881.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
69
WHISTLER'S WENICE; OR, PASTELS BY
PASTE LTHWAITE.
Mr. Whistler is the artful Doger of Venice. Turner made
" studies " from which he subsequently developed his pictures : but
Mr. Whistler is the " Chiel amang ye taking notes "—in colour,
and, unable to keep them to himself, he exhibits them in the most
generous and self-effacing way to the public generally. It is very
kind of him; perhaps it is very deep of him. Does he want to dis-
courage his brother artists from going to Venice ? He may have
conceived a violent animosity to Mr. Cook, and has hit upon this
method of deterring intending tourists from visiting the '' Pride of
the Sea."
Whatever the motive for the exhibition, the artist seems to speak
for himself, and say—" Well, Sir, I'm Master Jimmy Whistler I
am, and if I can do this sort o' thing with a shilling box o' paints
from the Lowther Arcade, a few sheets of blotting paper, and some
brown-paper covers off the family jam-pots, I could do bigger work
with improved materials, you bet! "
This address evidently conveys the suggestion that he should be
forthwith presented by his friends and admirers with a real colour-
box and the entire artistic paraphernalia. In furtherance of this
design, we place before our readers our own " Notes" in black and
white, suggested by those of Master Whistler.
N.B.—Visitors are requested to observe the principal figures, on
which we only allow ourselves to touch lightly, and compare them
with those in the brown-paper Catalogue. These notes being in-
tended for practical guidance, every visitor should take them to the
Gallery as a suggestive commentary which will be of the greatest
assistance to him in appreciating the collection in detail.
No. 1. Sotto Portico, San Giacomo. A sort o' portico. Pretty
clear so far.
No. 7. The Little Back Canal. Subject from the celebrated Tri-
umviretta, Coxio e Boxio.
Sergento Bouncero. Don't be angry, Gentlemen. There used to be a Little
Back Canal here.
Boxio e Coxio {together). Then put it up! [Uxit Bouncero.
No. 10. Nocturne—The Riva.
A Mud-bank note. "First Im-
pression of Venice on a piece of
Blotting-Paper."
No. 13. The Giudecca: note
in flesh-colour. Suggestion for
a Picture to represent Mr. Irving
as Shylock on a river—some-
where. Note for Jewdecca-rative
Art.
No. 14. The Bridge—flesh-
No. 10. colour and broivn. Suggestion
for Sir William Tite's panta-
loons—say a pair of Tite's.
. No. 18. Nocturne at a Hotel. Curious specimens of shoes left out-
side the bedroom doors to be cleaned.
Suggestion for the Boots.
No. 21. Fish Market, San Bar-
nabo. Suggestion of trade being
very dull.
No. 22. The Old Marble Palace.
We '' dreamt that we dwelt in marble
halls," and awoke with a severe cold.
About this period we came to the
conclusion, that if we wisited Wenice
—Whistler's Wenice—we should No. 18.
soon become what Mr. Mantalini
described as a " demm'd moist uncomfortable body."
No. 27. Campanile at Lido. Suggestion for a camp in ile—this
isn't in ile. Note—it's out in the
desolate country, a truly-rural-
Lido sort of place.
No. 28. "Boat Ahoy!"
Suggestion for a picture of
'1 there were three sailors of
Bristol City, Who took a boat
and went to sea."
No. 29. The Giudecca— Win-
ter : grey and blue. Uncom-
fortably suggestive of a nervous
man bent on taking a header.
No- 29- _ No. 35. The Staircase: note
in red. Suggestion that this
note should be taken as red."
No. 36. The Cemetery. This is what Master James calls it.
We prefer to consider it as suggestion for a dark scene in some
Pantomime of Gulliver, representing Gulliver''s cocked-hat adrift off
Lilliput or Water-Lilliput.
No. 37. Swamped Buttercups.
No. 38. The Red Doorway. Sug-
gestion for the Home of Smudge,
R.A.
No. 39. Suggestion for a view of
the Polar Regions "from the steps
of the Piazetta."
No. 43. A Red Note. Suggestive
that bearer waits answer.
No. 47. Awfully CoivVd! Sug- No. 36.
gestion for a picture representing
three unfortunate Pierrots who, returning from a fancy ball in the
country, have lost their way and stuck in a
peat-bog.
No. 51. Campo Sta. Martin—Winter Even-
ing. Note in Real Jam, or "Venice Pre-
served."
No. 53. The Brown Morning — Winter.
Master James means the Brown-paper Morning.
And lastly, what in nature is this curious
specimen that appears in every picture ?
It'snot a Gnat: it's not a Mosquito.
Can it be a—but this suggestion of
Venice is unpleasant for travellers. Did
Master James stay in the Palace of the
Doges, and at midnight was he aroused
from his harmony in snores, and com-
pelled to rise from the ancient bed, light a candle,
and—but we will not pursue the subjectf urther.
[Beautiful Venice ! "When found make a note of." Mem. by
J.W.]
10 TRIUMPHE!
[A Circumspect Pcean.)
" See, they number thirty-six—
Thirty-six, and I but one !
L'll confound their knavish tricks !
Never yet did Gossett run ! "
Thus—the hero to the Chair.
Brand replied, " The iron's hot:
Strike you shall; and,—time to spare,
Shall I lump and name the lot ?
Come, how will you have it done ? "
Whispered Gossett, " One by one.''1
Then grew tierce the deadly strife,
And full thirty-five at bay
Pought for dear obstructive life,—•
Fought,—Molloy though ran away.
And from rafter, roof, and floor
Rang the cheer, as Gossett's band,—
Six attendants from the door,—
Cleared the House. Then, up spake Brand,
"What—cleared ! Bless me, how was it done ? "
Quoth Gossett, smiling, " One by one!"
Kurds and their Ways.
It appears from an advertisement in the daily papers that the
"wild and terrible" Kurds, as they are called, in the intervals of
their wildness and terror, are in the habit of making Persian carpets
for the English market at very low prices. Perhaps if they were
less wild and terrible, they would make worse carpets and charge
higher prices. Civilisation is sometimes a great demoraliser.
Thrue for You!
Talk of unparliamentary speech, Sorr ?
Bad example ? Bedad, Sorr, who gave it ?
Very fine at our swearing to screech, Sorr,—
When you ''re just after taking our Daritt!
Perfect Agreement
" I find it so difficult to pay calls," said a busy Lady, the mother
of a large family, to her husband. ... .
" So do I," he replied, as he thought of his large investment m the
shares of the Minimum Under-Mining Company which hasn't
yielded anything except a half-yearly report of their " Doings."
69
WHISTLER'S WENICE; OR, PASTELS BY
PASTE LTHWAITE.
Mr. Whistler is the artful Doger of Venice. Turner made
" studies " from which he subsequently developed his pictures : but
Mr. Whistler is the " Chiel amang ye taking notes "—in colour,
and, unable to keep them to himself, he exhibits them in the most
generous and self-effacing way to the public generally. It is very
kind of him; perhaps it is very deep of him. Does he want to dis-
courage his brother artists from going to Venice ? He may have
conceived a violent animosity to Mr. Cook, and has hit upon this
method of deterring intending tourists from visiting the '' Pride of
the Sea."
Whatever the motive for the exhibition, the artist seems to speak
for himself, and say—" Well, Sir, I'm Master Jimmy Whistler I
am, and if I can do this sort o' thing with a shilling box o' paints
from the Lowther Arcade, a few sheets of blotting paper, and some
brown-paper covers off the family jam-pots, I could do bigger work
with improved materials, you bet! "
This address evidently conveys the suggestion that he should be
forthwith presented by his friends and admirers with a real colour-
box and the entire artistic paraphernalia. In furtherance of this
design, we place before our readers our own " Notes" in black and
white, suggested by those of Master Whistler.
N.B.—Visitors are requested to observe the principal figures, on
which we only allow ourselves to touch lightly, and compare them
with those in the brown-paper Catalogue. These notes being in-
tended for practical guidance, every visitor should take them to the
Gallery as a suggestive commentary which will be of the greatest
assistance to him in appreciating the collection in detail.
No. 1. Sotto Portico, San Giacomo. A sort o' portico. Pretty
clear so far.
No. 7. The Little Back Canal. Subject from the celebrated Tri-
umviretta, Coxio e Boxio.
Sergento Bouncero. Don't be angry, Gentlemen. There used to be a Little
Back Canal here.
Boxio e Coxio {together). Then put it up! [Uxit Bouncero.
No. 10. Nocturne—The Riva.
A Mud-bank note. "First Im-
pression of Venice on a piece of
Blotting-Paper."
No. 13. The Giudecca: note
in flesh-colour. Suggestion for
a Picture to represent Mr. Irving
as Shylock on a river—some-
where. Note for Jewdecca-rative
Art.
No. 14. The Bridge—flesh-
No. 10. colour and broivn. Suggestion
for Sir William Tite's panta-
loons—say a pair of Tite's.
. No. 18. Nocturne at a Hotel. Curious specimens of shoes left out-
side the bedroom doors to be cleaned.
Suggestion for the Boots.
No. 21. Fish Market, San Bar-
nabo. Suggestion of trade being
very dull.
No. 22. The Old Marble Palace.
We '' dreamt that we dwelt in marble
halls," and awoke with a severe cold.
About this period we came to the
conclusion, that if we wisited Wenice
—Whistler's Wenice—we should No. 18.
soon become what Mr. Mantalini
described as a " demm'd moist uncomfortable body."
No. 27. Campanile at Lido. Suggestion for a camp in ile—this
isn't in ile. Note—it's out in the
desolate country, a truly-rural-
Lido sort of place.
No. 28. "Boat Ahoy!"
Suggestion for a picture of
'1 there were three sailors of
Bristol City, Who took a boat
and went to sea."
No. 29. The Giudecca— Win-
ter : grey and blue. Uncom-
fortably suggestive of a nervous
man bent on taking a header.
No- 29- _ No. 35. The Staircase: note
in red. Suggestion that this
note should be taken as red."
No. 36. The Cemetery. This is what Master James calls it.
We prefer to consider it as suggestion for a dark scene in some
Pantomime of Gulliver, representing Gulliver''s cocked-hat adrift off
Lilliput or Water-Lilliput.
No. 37. Swamped Buttercups.
No. 38. The Red Doorway. Sug-
gestion for the Home of Smudge,
R.A.
No. 39. Suggestion for a view of
the Polar Regions "from the steps
of the Piazetta."
No. 43. A Red Note. Suggestive
that bearer waits answer.
No. 47. Awfully CoivVd! Sug- No. 36.
gestion for a picture representing
three unfortunate Pierrots who, returning from a fancy ball in the
country, have lost their way and stuck in a
peat-bog.
No. 51. Campo Sta. Martin—Winter Even-
ing. Note in Real Jam, or "Venice Pre-
served."
No. 53. The Brown Morning — Winter.
Master James means the Brown-paper Morning.
And lastly, what in nature is this curious
specimen that appears in every picture ?
It'snot a Gnat: it's not a Mosquito.
Can it be a—but this suggestion of
Venice is unpleasant for travellers. Did
Master James stay in the Palace of the
Doges, and at midnight was he aroused
from his harmony in snores, and com-
pelled to rise from the ancient bed, light a candle,
and—but we will not pursue the subjectf urther.
[Beautiful Venice ! "When found make a note of." Mem. by
J.W.]
10 TRIUMPHE!
[A Circumspect Pcean.)
" See, they number thirty-six—
Thirty-six, and I but one !
L'll confound their knavish tricks !
Never yet did Gossett run ! "
Thus—the hero to the Chair.
Brand replied, " The iron's hot:
Strike you shall; and,—time to spare,
Shall I lump and name the lot ?
Come, how will you have it done ? "
Whispered Gossett, " One by one.''1
Then grew tierce the deadly strife,
And full thirty-five at bay
Pought for dear obstructive life,—•
Fought,—Molloy though ran away.
And from rafter, roof, and floor
Rang the cheer, as Gossett's band,—
Six attendants from the door,—
Cleared the House. Then, up spake Brand,
"What—cleared ! Bless me, how was it done ? "
Quoth Gossett, smiling, " One by one!"
Kurds and their Ways.
It appears from an advertisement in the daily papers that the
"wild and terrible" Kurds, as they are called, in the intervals of
their wildness and terror, are in the habit of making Persian carpets
for the English market at very low prices. Perhaps if they were
less wild and terrible, they would make worse carpets and charge
higher prices. Civilisation is sometimes a great demoraliser.
Thrue for You!
Talk of unparliamentary speech, Sorr ?
Bad example ? Bedad, Sorr, who gave it ?
Very fine at our swearing to screech, Sorr,—
When you ''re just after taking our Daritt!
Perfect Agreement
" I find it so difficult to pay calls," said a busy Lady, the mother
of a large family, to her husband. ... .
" So do I," he replied, as he thought of his large investment m the
shares of the Minimum Under-Mining Company which hasn't
yielded anything except a half-yearly report of their " Doings."