UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Etchings         Institutions search term: wunderlich

The Lime-Burner

Impression: Baltimore Museum of Art
Baltimore Museum of Art
(1996.48.11658)
Number: 55
Date: 1859
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 255 x 179 mm
Signed: 'Whistler.' lower right and 'Whistler.' lower left (1); lower left signature faded (2)
Inscribed: '1859.' at lower right
Set/Publication: 'Thames Set', 1871
No. of States: 2
Known impressions: 103
Catalogues: K.46; M.45; T.38; W.44
Impressions taken from this plate  (103)

TECHNIQUE

A variety of etched lines, shading and cross-hatching is here combined with foul-biting and perhaps open bite and other experimental techniques to produce complex textural effects. A grainy texture - like cloth - is apparent, as are the more haphazard splotches of foul-biting.

PRINTING

Over a hundred impressions have been located. An immensely successful and popular etching, this was printed and sold in unusual quantities.
One impression was sold in the first state in 1861 (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460118), and another from the second state was sold by Ellis & Green in 1871 (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460224). Early impressions are usually printed in black ink, on a variety of western papers. They include wove papers: cream paper from a book, marked 'Fine proof - ' by Whistler (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460120); ivory (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460111) and buff wove paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460122). Several are on ivory laid papers (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460118), both heavy-weight (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460126) and medium-weight (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460115); and soiled sheets of 'antique' (pre-1800) laid (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460219, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460107). Several laid papers are watermarked i.e. 'HUDELIST' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460128, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460124), 'HALLINES' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460102, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460105) and 'HD' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460106). Asian papers - a comparatively small proportion - include cream japanese (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460127); off-white (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460z12) and cream 'laid' Japan (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460104).
As printed in the second state and for the published edition, a slightly different pattern emerges, with a high proportion of ivory 'modern' laid paper with the 'DE ERVEN DE BLAUW' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460230, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460228, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460202, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460246, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460218), 'D & C BLAUW' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460z13) and the beehive DEDB watermark (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460224, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460204, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460239). Other watermarks on laid papers include 'Pro Patria' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460220), Strasbourg Lily (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460206, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460203), Bouchet (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460212), a lion rampant on a shield (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460214), and a faint watermark of a helmet and shield (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460234). A sheet of 'antique' laid paper with blue edges was obviously taken from a ledger (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460236).
A higher proportion of the second state are printed on Asian papers, including cream Japanese (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460245, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460240, Graphic with a link to impression #K0460216); cream Asian laid (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460248); cream Japanese tissue (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460231); crackly, glossy cream Japan (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460232); ivory wove ('Imperial Japan') (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460244); ivory 'Japan pelure' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460237) and a heavy weight glowing ivory Japanese paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K0460238).