The Clock Tower - Amboise |  Hunterian Art Gallery (46992) | |
| Number: | 429 | |
| Date: | 1888 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 178 x 127 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 1 | |
| Known impressions: | 10 | |
| Catalogues: | K.394; M.394 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (10) | ||
TECHNIQUE
This is mainly etching, with a few areas of detail and shadow added in drypoint.
PRINTING
Several impressions were printed in black ink, one, for example, on Japanese paper (
) and one on cream laid paper (). Others, printed in brown or dark brown ink include one inscribed '1st State - Early proof' on cream 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper (), another on ivory laid paper with a partial hunting horn and shield watermark (), one on cream laid () and one on fine semi-transparent ivory laid Japanese paper (). They are trimmed to the platemark and signed with a butterfly and 'imp.' on the tab to show that they were printed by Whistler.
) and one on cream laid paper (). Others, printed in brown or dark brown ink include one inscribed '1st State - Early proof' on cream 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper (), another on ivory laid paper with a partial hunting horn and shield watermark (), one on cream laid () and one on fine semi-transparent ivory laid Japanese paper (). They are trimmed to the platemark and signed with a butterfly and 'imp.' on the tab to show that they were printed by Whistler.In addition three impressions were printed by Nathaniel Sparks (1880-1956) for Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) in 1931. 12 They were printed on Whistler's own paper. Only one of these has been located. It was printed black ink on cream laid paper with a broad margin and it was signed 'Nathaniel Sparks - / Imp -' on the verso in pencil, so that it could not be confused with Whistler's impressions (). It is possible the others were destroyed.
). It is possible the others were destroyed.12: Martin Hopkinson, 'Nathaniel Sparks's Printing of Whistler's Etchings', Print Quarterly, 1999, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 340-341, 349.