JAMES ABBOTT MCNEILL WHISTLER

The delicate, young and pensive Fanny Leyland was the daughter of Frederick R. Leyland, an English shipping magnate and patron to James McNeill Whistler. During his patronage, Whistler became close to the Leylands and completed a number of portraits of the family that captured their unique personalities and interest in decorative fashions. Fanny Leyland was also among the first works to include Whistler's Japanese inspired monogram, which evolved throughout his career to resemble a butterfly and to be an identifying feature of his work.