223The PalacesBirmingham Museum and Art GalleryAccession no: P35'72 State: 5/6 |
Collection credit: | |
Image credit: | |
Provenance: | Charles C. Cunningham (1910-1979), Chicago; sold to P. & D. Colnaghi & Co. Ltd, January 1972, for £600 (C.38263), purchased by Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, August 1972, for £855. |
Paper size: | 264 x 361 mm |
Plate mark size: | 254 x 359 mm |
Paper trimmed to pmk?: | yes |
Colour of the paper: | ivory |
Paper type (wove, laid, Japan etc): | laid |
Note on the paper: | medium weight, flecked with brown fibres, 'antique' laid paper. |
Tab?: | yes |
Watermarks: | Arms of Amsterdam |
Medium: | etching and drypoint |
Ink colour: | dark brown |
Additional work on the print, e.g. in pencil: | no |
Print tone: | There is a medium print tone that is most prominent in the foreground where there are wipe marks evident. According to H. Preston (museum files), the plate tone stops before the upper edge due to uneven inking. However, it looks more like the result of bleaching possibly a result of exposure to natural light or the initial and abandoned attempt of a conservator to clean the etching. Tessa Sidey (current print curator) is in agreement regarding this. |
Note on foul biting: | There is some foul biting at the edges and areas of dense pitting creating shadow, e.g. in the water and on the face of the buildings, where appears controlled. There is also some cracking of the ground evident on the façade of the central palazzo - appears intentional, creating effect of picturesque delapidation. There are minor acid spots in the foreground and sky. |
Print note: |
Whistler's sign on plate: | butterfly |
Inscriptions by Whistler on the plate: | no |
Inscriptions by others on the plate: | no |
Whistler's signature on paper: | no |
Inscriptions by Whistler on the paper: | no |
Tab signed/inscribed: | butterfly 'imp.' |
Note on the tab: | butterfly (1887); tab 8 x 18 mm, 62 mm from left. |
Printer's signature (e.g. Goulding): | |
Notes on inscriptions: | |
Collector's mark: | |
Dealers' stock nos: | |
Misc inscriptions by others: |
Source of information: | Whistler Etchings Project |
ID: | K1870231 |
All inscriptions are in graphite pencil unless otherwise stated.