Ethel Whibley | |
|---|---|
 Mother of Pearl and Silver: The Andalusian (1888–1900), National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. | |
| Born | 29 September 1861 Chelsea, London, England |
| Died | 21 April 1920 (aged 58) Paris, France |
| Other names | née Ethel Birnie Philip |
| Occupation | Secretary & model for James McNeill Whistler |
| Spouse | Charles Whibley |
| Parent(s) | John Birnie Philip and Frances Black |
Ethel Whibley (née Philip; 29 September 1861 – 21 April 1920), was the sister-in-law of James McNeill Whistler. Ethel was a secretary to Whistler who used Ethel as a model for a number of full-length portraits painted during the period 1888 to the mid-1890s. Her sister Beatrice (also called 'Beatrix' or 'Trixie') married James McNeill Whistler in 1888, following the death of her first husband Edward William Godwin. In 1896 Ethel married the writer Charles Whibley. Her sister Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) subsequently acted as secretary to Whistler and was appointed Whistler's executrix at his death.[1]