UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

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The Beggars

Impression: Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
(1938.1862)
Number: 190
Date: 1879/1880
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 307 x 212 mm
Signed: butterfly at upper left (1-3); replaced with new butterfly (4); redrawn (5-6); removed (8)
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: 'First Venice Set', 1880
No. of States: 17
Known impressions: 57
Catalogues: K.194; M.191; W.159
Impressions taken from this plate  (57)
Etching: PK194_01 (plate)
The copper plate was large and close in size to San Biagio [237], San Giorgio [214] and Riva, No. 2 [230]. It was probably handmade for Whistler in Venice. 17 It was published in Venice, a Series of Twelve Etchings (the 'First Venice Set') by the Fine Art Society, London, in 1880.

The plate came with Whistler's estate to Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958), who arranged for the edition to be completed by Frederick Goulding (1842-1909). The plate was then cancelled with three parallel diagonal lines. Miss Philip gave the cancelled plate to the University of Glasgow in 1935.