The Long Seats, Gray's Inn |  Hunterian Art Gallery (46912) | |
| Number: | 283 | |
| Date: | 1887 | |
| Medium: | etching | |
| Size: | 82 x 179 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at right | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 1 | |
| Known impressions: | 5 | |
| Catalogues: | K.299; M.293 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (5) | ||
TECHNIQUE
Whistler executed the plate for The Long Seats, Gray's Inn in pure etching.
PRINTING
Four impressions printed by Whistler have been located. One, which is inscribed with the title by Whistler on the verso, was printed in dark brown ink on cream laid paper, trimmed and signed with his butterfly on the tab (
). Another is in black ink on ivory laid paper with a partial 'PRO PATRIA' watermark, similarly trimmed (). A third is in dark brown ink on laid paper darkened to buff, also so trimmed (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on a tab with the butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.
). Another is in black ink on ivory laid paper with a partial 'PRO PATRIA' watermark, similarly trimmed (). A third is in dark brown ink on laid paper darkened to buff, also so trimmed (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on a tab with the butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.The only other impression that has been located forms part of a limited posthumous print-run printed at the request of Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) by Nathaniel Sparks (1880-1956) in 1931 (). It was printed in black ink on cream laid paper with light even surface tone, and is very similar in appearance to Whistler's impressions. It is not trimmed - it has a wide margin - and is signed on the verso 'Nathaniel Sparks - imp'.
Sparks recorded printing 'Three Proofs ... paper from his book - ' (meaning that it was printed on paper originally collected by Whistler). 8 The other two Sparks impressions have not been located, and may have been destroyed.
). It was printed in black ink on cream laid paper with light even surface tone, and is very similar in appearance to Whistler's impressions. It is not trimmed - it has a wide margin - and is signed on the verso 'Nathaniel Sparks - imp'. Sparks recorded printing 'Three Proofs ... paper from his book - ' (meaning that it was printed on paper originally collected by Whistler). 8 The other two Sparks impressions have not been located, and may have been destroyed.
8: Note dated 18 June 1931, repr. in Martin Hopkinson, 'Nathaniel Sparks's Printing of Whistler's Etchings', Print Quarterly, 1999, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 340, 343, 349.