Original story by Otto Bacher
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| James A. McNeill Whistler, Self Portrait, Courtesy Library of Congress |
Otto Bacher published the following firsthand account more than 100 years ago, in the May 1907 edition of The Century magazine. It was a short two years later, at the young age of 53, that Otto Bacher would breathe his last. He had just published Whistler in Venice, in 1908, which had appeared first as a serial in The Century magazine. Bacher died in Bronxville, N.Y., in 1909.
We thought our readers might enjoy some of the wonderful stories regarding Whistler and his circle, extracted from our archive of rare books and manuscripts. We start with the delightful story of a very interesting challenge and wager made by one of Whistler's American friends (without Whistler's knowledge, at least at first), regarding Whistlers' pastel works (the friend is not identified). It would be interesting to know how many famous artists living today would accept such a challenge and dare go through with it.
The story is slightly edited, revised, and illustratively enhanced to expand a bit on the characters involved.
Originally titled, Wolkoff, the Russian Imitator.
James McNeill Whistler and the Pastel Wager
One evening there was a festive gathering of men from many different nations seated about a table in an open court of the Bauer Grünwald, a well known Venetian restaurant. The conversation, I believe, was in English, and the subject of Whistler’s pastels was brought up by one of his enthusiastic American admirers. A Russian named Wolkoff was flippant and depreciating, ridiculing them as works of art, jeeringly saying that he was willing to bet that he could make half a dozen pastels as good as Whistler’s and, if they were mixed with his, nobody could tell them apart. The American was surprised at this attitude and remarked:
“I’ll bet a champagne dinner for all present that you can’t.”
“All
right, I’ll take your bet, and prove what I say; but I will make one
condition only, and it must be agreed upon by all present: I must be
permitted to see Whistler’s pastels before I begin.”
“I will agree to that, and arrange a day when you can see them.”
All
this was unknown to Whistler, who was innocent of the reason for the
call of his Russian guest. He received him charmingly, and showed him
all his pastels. These he pinned on large cardboards, carefully, almost
ceremoniously, and placed them before him upon a chair that served as an
easel. This was the usual way he exhibited his pastels or etchings at
home. The Russian was not heard from for six weeks. Then the committee
in charge was informed that he could not go on because he found it
impossible to purchase in Venice the peculiar, brilliant pastels with
which Whistler obtained his effects.
The American
would not let him slip through in that way, so he managed to make it
possible for his Russian friend to select numerous small pieces from
Whistler’s own pastel-boxes. He selected all he wanted, or thought he
needed, for the easy task of making a Whistler pastel, and after this
exceptional accommodation, returned to his work, saying he would be
ready for the jury in a week.
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| The Casa Jacovitz [i.e., Jankowitz] - Whistler's rooms in Venice Drawing on blue-gray paper: pastel by Whistler Drawing shows exterior view of Casa Jankowitz on the edge of a canal. Courtesy Library of Congress |
How or by whom the six jurors were selected I do not
know, but I remember that two strangers, an Austrian and a Dutchman,
were among them; Spain was represented by Martin Rico y Ortega, England
by Henry Woods, R.A., and America by Frank Duveneck and myself [Otto
Bacher]. By this time Whistler knew of the wager. The jury met in a
house on the Riva not far from the Casa Jankovitz, near enough for him
to bring his pastels conveniently. The meeting was in a very long room
facing the lagoons. The American who had accepted the wager was not
there; Wolkoff was at home, sick in bed; Whistler was in the darkest and
farthest corner, with this back to the company and his pastels on a
long table. I was selected to bring each exhibit from Whistler’s hands
and place it on a high-hacked chair.
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| Etching by Otto Bacher – Created between 1880 and 1900 View of the Castello Quarter near Casa Jankovitz, where Whistler lodged Exhibited: "Whistler and his circle in Venice" at the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C., 2003. Courtesy Library of Congress |
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| Photograph of a portrait painted by Frank Duveneck of his wife, Mrs.
Duveneck, in the Cincinnati Museum Association; painting signed F.
Duveneck, Paris, 1888. Courtesy Library of Congress |
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| Etching, Scene on Grand Canal Venice, by Frank Duveneck Courtesy Library of Congress |
It was an extraordinary position in which Whistler
was placed, and a veritable ordeal which he faced. He was serious and
wore a troubled look, the truth being that he was nervous at the
possibility that the jury might let one of the Russian’s pastels slip by
as one of his own. I am glad to say, however, that, whenever a Wolkoff
appeared, it was instantly received with groans and shouts of “Take it
away!” Not for one moment was there the least doubt or a dissenting
voice.
Soon after this challenge, Whistler's pastels
were put on view at a special exhibition given by Whistler in London
during the winter of 1881. The following extracts are from a letter written by his daughter, Maud Whistler, concerning the pastels, and she records the favor with which they
were received in London.
As to the pastels, well—they are the fashion. There has never been such a success known. Whistler has decorated a room for them—an arrangement in brown, gold, and Venetian red—which is very lovely, and in it they look perfect gems. All the London world was at the private view—princesses, painters, beauties, actors, everybody. In fact, at one moment of the day it was impossible to move, for the room was crammed. Even Whistler’s enemies were obliged to acknowledge their loveliness. The criticisms were one and all high in their praise.
One of them published the story of Wolkoff, the Russian imitator, and said he was onblged to take a course of mud baths after his defeat. Altogether it has been a great lark, and Whistler has often said, “Wouldn’t the boys appreciate the fun of all this?”
I am going to send you a little book of all the cuttings of the newspapers, so that you can see for yourself.
The best of it is, all the pastels are selling; four hundred pounds’ worth [about $800 in today's currency] went the first day; now over a thousand pounds’ [about $1,500 in today's currency] worth are sold. The prices range from twenty to sixty guineas [100 guineas=105 pounds or about $163], and nobody grumbles at paying for them.
THE END
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This story raises many unanswered questions. At the time of this story's publication, Whistler had just died four short years before in 1903, so there was no way to foresee what the values of his paintings would do over the next century, much less in 1881. Wouldn't we all have loved to pick up a few Whistler works for the prices cited by Maud, though in 1881, they were still expensive, considering monetary values.
Who was Wolkoff exactly? It's a shame his first name is not mentioned. And what do you suppose happened to Wolkoff's pastels? Did he destroy them when he learned that they didn't measure up? After all, as the story goes, Wolkoff was home sick in bed and not present at the time the Whistler jurors gave their verdict. Did he make good on his wager? If Wolkoff's paintings did survive, what would they be worth today, given this story of competition with the great master, Whistler? We expect they would be worth a great deal of money today.
More than 100 years later, Whistler's works have increased in value substantially. They sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the work. Whistler's painting, Harmony in Gray sold at Christie's in 2000 for $2.5 million.
Next in this series, "What Would You Give to Know the Secret of Whistler's Drawings?"
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