Binding the Hair |  Art Institute of Chicago (1927.5984) | |
| Number: | 334 | |
| Date: | 1887 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 133 x 95 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at lower left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 3 | |
| Known impressions: | 4 | |
| Catalogues: | K.344; M.342 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (4) | ||
TECHNIQUE
It is mostly etching but the additional shading is in drypoint. Whistler seems to have conceived it as a very restrained and intimate image, and printed it on darkened papers.
PRINTING
Binding the Hair is very rare; only four impressions have been located. The first state was printed in black ink on cream or ivory laid paper, now discoloured to tan (
). Later impressions are in black ink on cream laid (), and in brown or black ink on discoloured and darkened laid papers (, ). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.
). Later impressions are in black ink on cream laid (), and in brown or black ink on discoloured and darkened laid papers (, ). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.