Lot 1889
WALTER GREAVES (1846-1930)
JAMES McNEILL WHISTLER IN CREMORNE GARDENS, CHELSEA
Signed and dated 1869, watercolour and gouache over pencil
60.5 x 49.5cm.
Provenance: London, The Fine Art Society Ltd, 1998, Style: Art & Design 1830-1880, no.42
* Despite Greaves' obsequious loyalty to his master (and even his adoption of the rather overstudied foppishness of Whistler's dress), the capricious Whistler spurned his pupil in about 1880 once his disciple's patrons began to overlap with his own cherished and cosseted clientele. Equally ostracized by Whistler's fiercely partisan friends, Greaves soon dwindled into obscurity and he died in poverty.
Initially, Cremorne Gardens was a popular park in which Victorian gentry would meet, chat and stroll amongst amusements and cafes. The `Balloon Ascent` touted on the notice board was a precarious pleasure as it was known to rip free from its moorings on occasion. The distinctive pavilion, built in a pagoda style, was 360 feet in circumference. It was festooned with 17 gas chandeliers, 40 mirrors and an orchestra played in its upper section. However, the park soon attracted crowds of rowdy lower classes. Hawkers and hucksters began to dominate the place and the general uproarious commotion enforced the Gardens' closure in 1877.
