James Abbott McNeill Whistler and Beatrix Birnie Philip 

Vasari tells us, without giving us any more information, that 'Uccello had a daughter who could draw'. Well, 'Whistler had a wife who could paint'. This news came to me as a complete surprise, I have to say, yet another of those reminders that, whatever you've learnt, there's still a lot more to go. Admittedly the 19th Century has never been one of my major areas of study, and the index of the admittedly short book about Whistler that I've just bought doesn't include any of her names - or that of her first husband, architect Edward Godwin, for that matter. So I'll just have to fill that gap in my knowledge myself. 

If I'm honest, this will really be a talk about Whistler himself - the development of his work,  including both paintings and prints - as I will have the good fortune to get my hands on some of them during a private view in Glasgow next month. It's thanks to his marriage to Beatrix that they happen to be there, the bequest of her youngest sister  (and his heir) Rosalind Birnie Philip. Among the works in the Hunterian is Harmony in Red: Lamplight for which Beatrix was the model: I've used a detail as the header for this talk. 

Their marriage is described as 'happy and productive' and Glasgow University has the largest collection of her work, so despite focusing on James, I will try and include as many paintings by her as possible. One of their servants was clearly impressed, commenting that 'she painted beautifully' - but then the Master's work was not always popular, and maybe this was a subtle dig.

As well as his wife, I will of course look at Whistler's Mother, his most famous painting, formally known as Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1. But are you familiar with Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 2? It's not as famous as No. 1, perhaps, but it is also in Glasgow, across the park from the Hunterian at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, all thanks to the Glasgow Boys... Inevitably, No. 2 will also be part of the story, as will the Boys (albeit briefly), together with his controversial decorative scheme, Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room - which could be where James and Beatrix met.

Please remember, I do not record my talks.