Marbles |  National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (1943.3.8588) | |
| Number: | 270 | |
| Date: | 1886/1887 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 133 x 98 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper right | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 3 | |
| Known impressions: | 5 | |
| Catalogues: | K.284; M.280 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (5) | ||
TECHNIQUE
It was drawn with a combination of etched and drypoint lines. Ruth Fine commented on Whistler's technique:
'Whistler had by now perfected a shorthand language that allowed him to portray each figure convincingly through a few swift gestural marks. Marbles was essentially completed in the first state, details of shadows being the only later additions.' 7
7: Los Angeles 1984 (cat. no. 67).
PRINTING
In July 1889 Whistler recorded that he had two impressions in stock. 8 Two impressions of the first state were printed in a warm black ink on ivory laid paper (
, ) and one on cream laid paper (). No impression of the second state has been located (). One impression of the third state is on laid paper with a Pro Patria watermark () and another on cream laid paper (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.
, ) and one on cream laid paper (). No impression of the second state has been located (). One impression of the third state is on laid paper with a Pro Patria watermark () and another on cream laid paper (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.8: List, 18 July 1889, GUW #13235.