UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Home > The Catalogue > Browse > Etching

The Rag Shop, Milman's Row

Impression: Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
(1938.1911)
Number: 290
Date: 1887
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 96 x 164 mm
Signed: butterfly at upper centre
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 3
Known impressions: 9
Catalogues: K.258; M.254
Impressions taken from this plate  (9)

TECHNIQUE

Whistler began work on this plate in etching and then added touches of drypoint shading to complete the image.

PRINTING

Most impressions, judging from the butterfly signatures added in pencil, date from about 1887. An impression of the first state in black ink on ivory laid paper was acquired by Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) (Graphic with a link to impression #K2580101). Second states were printed in black ink on ivory laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K2580103) and dark brown ink on off-white (Graphic with a link to impression #K2580208) and buff laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K2580205), the latter with a Pro Patria watermark. The final state was also in both dark brown ink on dark ivory (Graphic with a link to impression #K2580207) or buff (Graphic with a link to impression #K2580206) laid paper, and in black ink on ivory laid (Graphic with a link to impression #K2580210, Graphic with a link to impression #K2580204), the latter with an Arms of Amsterdam watermark. All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.