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Gray's Inn Place

Impression: Freer Gallery of Art
Freer Gallery of Art
(1906.121)
Number: 281
Date: 1887
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 127 x 177 mm
Signed: butterfly at left
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 2
Known impressions: 6
Catalogues: K.297; M.292
Impressions taken from this plate  (6)

TECHNIQUE

Most of the detail in this etching consists of irregular rows and patches of short strokes and zig-zag shading to convey the texture of the brick walls. Curving left to right diagonals (\\\) of drypoint augment the shadows on the ground of the passageway. Foul biting has been exploited to give texture to the walls and walkway, and a small patch of drypoint lines was added to the etching in the final state.

PRINTING

It is fairly rare, yet each impression is slightly different in effect, from the combination of ink colour and paper. Only one impression of the first state has been located, printed in black ink on ivory 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K2970102).
An impression of the second state, numbered in Whistler's hand 'No. 3.' and 'Selected Proof' is also printed in black ink on ivory laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K2970205). Another is in dark brown ink on a cream paper, possibly an Asian laid paper, and was inscribed 'Specially chosen. / 1st. State' (Graphic with a link to impression #K2970204) - and despite Whistler's note, it is the second state. Two others, one in brown (Graphic with a link to impression #K2970203) and one in black ink (Graphic with a link to impression #K2970202), are both on ivory laid paper, the latter with an unusual Eagle watermark. All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.