The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-23
wHIsTLERs SECRET WORKS.

WHISTLERS SECRET WORKS.
 Paintings and Etchings That He Kept
 for Himself Found After His Death. After the death of Whistler. the
 American artist, not long ago. his house and studios on the Chinese embark
 ment were found filled with portraits.
 sketches. etching and other works which his friends knew nothing about,
 and they are said to include several
 examples superior to any that he ever
 exhibited. They have been inherited by Miss Rosalind B. Philip. his sister in-law, executrix and only heir-at-law. for he was a widower without children. His estate was appraised at $52,Q00. Among these newly discovered works is a remarkable portrait of George Van derbilt which evidently was painted several years ago, but it has never been exhibited or discussed. Why MT. Whistler should have retained it in seclusion has not been explained. Per haps MT. Vanderbilt can throw some
 light on the subject. but he has not done
 so, or perhaps it did not suit the artist, who was always critical of his own work. There are several other equally mysterious portraits, all of them fine examples of Whistlers peculiar style. Those who have seen them declare that they are the best work he ever did. Whistler's friends in England want to make an exhibition of these works as an evidence of his greatness, and as a rebuke to the Royal Academy, which re- fused to elect him a member, but Mir.
 Freer of Detroit, who was one of Whis- tiers most devoted friends and owns about seventy of his pictures, has taken
 possession of his artistic effect and is
 packing them for shipment to the United States, where they will be ex-
 hibited at Boston next winter under the auspices of the Copley Society. This ar- rangcment causes much disappointment
 and chargrin in London. where it was
 expected that the first exhibition would
 be given.
 There is a story in circulation, which
 I cannot verify, that the collection will remain permanently in the United
 States as monument to Whistler, and
 be located either in New York or Bos- ton. The matter lies with Mir. Freer;
 but he is not ready, even if he is able, to talk definitely on the subject
 The London Times and other news papers have opened their columns to a controversy that has become quite heat ed as to whether Whistler ever desired an election to the Royal Academy, or whether he was mortified at his rejec-
 tion. His friends among artists as we'll as laymen, declare that he did not care 8 rap about the honor. that he never wanted to be member, and that he frequently spoke In contemptuous terms of the organization; while others de- clare in terms quite as positive that he was deeply wounded and disappointed. It will be an amending controversy. There is good deal of evidence on both sides
 Whistler was very peculiar man and extremely difficult to get along with being habituaf ''scrapper.' He was mercilessin his criticisms, extremely fmpertinent in his comments upon his fellow artists, and resented criticisms of his own work as energetically as he condemned that of others. There is not the slightest doubt that he would have stirred up the members of the sedate and conservative old Academy like a bull in a china shop if he had ever been admitted to that organization, and it was doubtless for the peace of the art circles of England, that he was not. On the other hand, 1t is equally probable that Whistler considered the refusal of the Academy to admit him to membership as a personal insult, as well as a repudiation of the greatest of modern artists.-From the Chicago Record Herald