Sleeping Girl |  Freer Gallery of Art (1892.10) | |
| Number: | 127 | |
| Date: | 1874/1875 | |
| Medium: | drypoint | |
| Size: | 139 x 217 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper left (2-final) | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 4 | |
| Known impressions: | 9 | |
| Catalogues: | K.125; M.122; W.112 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (9) | ||
TECHNIQUE
Vividly drawn in drypoint, with small areas of shading added lightly in drypoint in later states; this quickly faded and it was printed as a very delicate, rather ethereal study of a child.
PRINTING
There may have been a print-run of ten or twelve in Whistler's lifetime. An impression of the first state was printed in black ink on ivory laid paper with the elaborate 'DEDB' and beehive watermark (
). Impressions of later states were printed in black, mostly on laid paper including ivory 'antique' (pre-1800) paper (), one sheet with an Arms of Amsterdam watermark () and another with a countermark, possibly 'HGH' (); and also dark ivory paper with the 'Pro Patria' watermark (). However one delicate impression was printed with burr in dark brown ink on light grey wove paper ().
). Impressions of later states were printed in black, mostly on laid paper including ivory 'antique' (pre-1800) paper (), one sheet with an Arms of Amsterdam watermark () and another with a countermark, possibly 'HGH' (); and also dark ivory paper with the 'Pro Patria' watermark (). However one delicate impression was printed with burr in dark brown ink on light grey wove paper ().On 18 June 1931 Nathaniel Sparks (1880-1956) sketched the plate and recorded 'Three proofs taken ... paper from his book with lines', meaning on paper originally owned by Whistler, and inherited by Miss Philip, who authorised the printing. 9 However, these three late impressions have not been located, and were probably destroyed.
9: Martin Hopkinson, 'Nathaniel Sparks's Printing of Whistler's Etchings', Print Quarterly, 1999, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 340, 342, 349.