Identity:

In the 1881 census Andrew Muir is recorded as a 'Russia merchant', then living at 42 Holland Park with his wife, Alice, who was born in Glasgow and then aged 58, and their three daughters. One daughter was born in St Petersburg in 1862.

Life:

In 1881 Muir bought a pastel by Whistler at the Fine Art Society exhibition of Whistler's Venice pastels. In 1893 Muir asked D. C. Thomson of Goupil and Co. to ask Whistler to sign it. Whistler at first declared that it had been touched up by another hand (the glass was broken and perhaps it had been damaged; see #08244). However, Muir refuted this assertion (#04197). Finally Whistler agreed to repair and sign it. The pastel has not been identified (Venice (M.824)).

After his death, a sale of Muir'scollection was held at Christie's in London on 7 April 1900.

Bibliography:

Times, London, 15 October 1862, p. 1; UK census 1881, from http://www.familysearch.org (accessed 2004).