UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

The Music Room

Impression: Hunterian Art Gallery
Hunterian Art Gallery
(46721)
Number: 39
Date: 1859
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 147 x 217 mm
Signed: no
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 4
Known impressions: 54
Catalogues: K.33; M.31; T.22; W.26
Impressions taken from this plate  (54)

TECHNIQUE

This is a complex work in both etching and drypoint, with additional textural effects. A conspicuous area of foul biting extends right round the edge of the plate, particularly at right, and contrasts with the fine lines of shading around the fireplace. The early impressions are all augmented by a variety of tonal effects, with surface ink being left in the surroundings but wiped off the light, the table, and the faces and hands of the seated figures.

PRINTING

A dozen impressions of the first state and over thirty of the later states have been located. One of the earliest proofs, a bold impression in dark brown ink on cream laid paper, was inscribed by Francis Seymour Haden, Sr (1818-1910),'This is the first rude impression pulled from the plate, from which, as will be seen, the ink is scarcely wiped / SH' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330104). However, it was wiped almost bare of ink in the central area, with ink tone left around the edge to enhance the shadows. It is one of several similar proofs. (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330118, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330109, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330112). Other impressions were printed with a lot of plate tone, but still usually wiped bare over the table and the light, both in the first (i.e. Graphic with a link to impression #K0330107, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330113) and second state (i.e. Graphic with a link to impression #K0330210).
Early impressions were mostly printed in black ink, on ivory (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330101, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330103), off-white (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330102, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330106, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330112) or cream (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330107, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330118) wove paper. Several are on an oatmeal-effect grey- and brown-flecked wove paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330108, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330113, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330114, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330115). A few are in dark brown ink on various papers: 'antique' (pre-1800) laid (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330104); off-white laid with a Britannia watermark (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330110), and cream fibrous laid (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330116). Some of these were very heavily inked, with only the lamp-lit area in the centre wiped clean (i.e.Graphic with a link to impression #K0330106).
Impressions of the second state are in black ink on a wide variety of papers including a thick, stiff, light grey wove paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330202); light grey laid, again with a Britannia watermark (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330204); off-white 'antique' laid (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330208); grey-green 'oatmeal' wove (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330225); cream or ivory Japan (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330203, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330209) and a cream glossy paper, possibly imitation Japan (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330210).
A number - including some late impressions - are also in dark brown ink on a remarkable variety of papers including: ivory laid 'antique' paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330213); light-weight cream 'antique' paper from a book (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330z03); grey with 'J.F.' watermark (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330212); grey laid (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330z08); cream 'modern' laid paper with a shield watermark (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330207); a greenish pale grey flecked laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330211, Graphic with a link to impression #K0330z08); and buff (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330220) or dark ivory wove card (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330227).
Later impressions in black ink were printed on, for example, cream wove paper removed from a book with blue-dyed edges (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330222) and one on ivory paper, possibly wove (Graphic with a link to impression #K0330223)