Hôtel de la Croix Blanche |  Art Institute of Chicago (1917.584) | |
| Number: | 395 | |
| Date: | 1888 | |
| Medium: | etching | |
| Size: | 177 x 126 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper right | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 2 | |
| Known impressions: | 3 | |
| Catalogues: | K.373; M.373 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (3) | ||
TECHNIQUE
Hôtel de la Croix Blanche is pure etching. A number of faint lines at lower left appear unrelated to the final subject and are likely remnants of an earlier idea or earlier subject on the plate.
This is a comparatively detailed scene, drawn to the edge of the plate at all sides. After outlining the main architectural features with a few long lines, it was drawn with a variety of short lines. Jerky, nervous, wriggly short lines describe the foliage, figures and poultry. Small patches of shading and zigzag lines, and denser, closely worked areas of fine shading, describe the texture, shadows, and reflections.
PRINTING
Only three impressions of Hôtel de la Croix Blanche have been located (
, , ). The first state was printed in black ink on ivory laid paper (), the second state is similar, on laid paper with a 'PRO PATRIA' watermark () and on 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper with a partial watermark (). The latter appears to be numbered 'No 3' or 'No 5'. They are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler printed them.
, , ). The first state was printed in black ink on ivory laid paper (), the second state is similar, on laid paper with a 'PRO PATRIA' watermark () and on 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper with a partial watermark (). The latter appears to be numbered 'No 3' or 'No 5'. They are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler printed them.