UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

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Draped Model

Impression: Freer Gallery of Art
Freer Gallery of Art
(1892.3)
Number: 109
Date: 1873/1874
Medium: drypoint
Size: 210 x 135 mm
Signed: butterfly at left (4-final)
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: 'Cancelled Plates', 1879
No. of States: 11
Known impressions: 35
Catalogues: K.100; M.118; T.80; W.87
Impressions taken from this plate  (35)

PUBLICATION

It was published in an album of Cancelled Plates ('Cancelled Set') by The Fine Art Society, London, 1879.

EXHIBITIONS

The first known exhibitions were in 1874, in the travelling exhibition of the collection of James Anderson Rose (1819-1890) in Liverpool and elsewhere, and in Whistler's first London show, where the catalogue asserted 'Very few proofs' . 8

Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) lent two 'trial proofs' to an exhibition at the Union League Club in New York in 1881 (Graphic with a link to impression #K1000101 and Graphic with a link to impression #K1000203). 9

At the exhibition organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900, one impression was lent by Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) (Graphic with a link to impression #K1000802). 10 H. Wunderlich & Co. showed one impression in New York in 1898 and a 'Second State' in 1903; in 1898 one was bought by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919).

After Whistler's death, four different states were exhibited in the comprehensive show at the Grolier Club in New York in 1904, while Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) lent one to the Memorial Exhibition in Boston, also in 1904, and H.R.H. The Princess Victoria lent one to the London Memorial in 1905. 11

8: Liverpool 1874 (cat. no. 526); London Pall Mall 1874 (cat. no. E39).

9: New York 1881 (cat. nos. 114, 115).

10: Chicago 1900 (cat. no. 83). See REFERENCES : EXHIBITIONS.

11: New York 1904a (cat. nos. 91a,b,c,d); Boston 1904 (cat. no. 70) ; London Mem. 1905 (cat. no. 87).

SALES & COLLECTORS

There is considerable difficulty in distinguishing between etchings and drypoints with similar titles.

However, in 1877 Whistler sold several impressions for a good price, £5.5.0. The first sale of a 'Draped figure' was to the Fine Art Society in London on 10 October 1877. 12 Whistler then sold several numbered impressions to Charles Augustus Howell (1840?-1890), including 'The draped figure No. 4' and 'Draped figure 1st'. 13 It is not known if this meant a first proof (Graphic with a link to impression #K1000101) or first state, or one from a numbered pile, possibly printed in 1877 with a view to immediate sale, but clearly some numbering system was in operation.

12: Whistler to M. B. Huish, GUW #12734.

13: 12 October-5 November 1877, GUW #12735 and [16/21 November 1877], #12740; [November 1877], #02180.

In October 1877 Whistler also sold a 'Draped figure' to the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle (Graphic with a link to impression #K1000502), and 'The draped figure 3' to print-dealers J. Hogarth & Sons. 14

At auction, a 'third state with additional work' was sold from the collection of the late Joshua Hutchinson Hutchinson (ca 1829 - d.1891) at Sotheby's, 3 March 1892 (lot 141), bought by Edmund F. Deprez (1851-1915) of Deprez & Gutekunst for only £2.0.0 and sold immediately to Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) (Graphic with a link to impression #K1000303) .

14: 19-22 October 1877, GUW #12736; 22-27 October 1877, #12737.

Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) bought impressions of early states at an early date and had them signed and inscribed by Whistler (Graphic with a link to impression #K1000101, Graphic with a link to impression #K1000203). Early collectors included Francis Seymour Haden, Sr (1818-1910) (Graphic with a link to impression #K1000103) and Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1860-1938) (Graphic with a link to impression #K1000503), who both owned impressions that were bought through Wunderlich's by Freer in 1898. Whistler also bequeathed an impression to Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) (Graphic with a link to impression #K1000904).