Philip William May
English, 1864-1903
Oscar Wilde and Whistler
INV-1439
Philip William May
English, 1864-19031894
Oscar Wilde and Whistler
Philip William May English, 1864-1903 →pen and ink drawingsdrawings (visual works)
Date
1894
Medium
Pen and black ink, with black crayon and touches of blue crayon, on ivory laminate board
Dimensions
Sheet: 35.4 × 25.5 cm (13 15/16 × 10 1/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Walter S. Brewster
Phil May, a friend of Roussel and a member of the Chelsea Arts Club, contributed caricatures of actors, artists, and writers to London periodicals. The bold style and sharp wit of his drawings attracted a wide following, and his illustrations were also published in book form. This caricature of Wilde and Whistler was reproduced in Phil May’s Sketch-book, which was first issued in 1895. The caption refers to Whistler’s repeated assertions that Wilde plagiarized his ideas, accusations that ended their guardedly amicable relationship in 1890.
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