Etchings Institutions search term: obach
Gypsy Baby |  Freer Gallery of Art (1902.107) | |
| Number: | 373 | |
| Date: | 1887/1888 | |
| Medium: | etching | |
| Size: | 100 x 68 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at lower right | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 1 | |
| Known impressions: | 3 | |
| Catalogues: | K.339; M.337 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (3) | ||
PUBLICATION
Gypsy Baby was not published.
EXHIBITIONS
It was very rare and rarely exhibited. An impression was shown by the print dealers H. Wunderlich & Co. in New York in 1898 and the same - or another one - in 1903. 9
An impression was also exhibited after Whistler's death by the Grolier Club in New York in 1904, lent by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) (
). 10
An impression was also exhibited after Whistler's death by the Grolier Club in New York in 1904, lent by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) (
). 10
9: New York 1898 (cat. no. 281); New York 1903b (cat. no. 247).
10: New York 1904a (cat. no. 306).
SALES & COLLECTORS
Whistler sold an impression as 'Gipsy Baby' on 11 February 1888 to the London print dealer, Thomas M. McLean (b. ca 1832) for £5.5.0. 11 It is not known who bought it at that time, but it might have been the impression bought by Freer from Obach & Co. in London on 30 May 1902 (). This was bequeathed with the rest of Freer's important collection to the Freer Gallery of Art.
). This was bequeathed with the rest of Freer's important collection to the Freer Gallery of Art.11: [11 February 1888] Whistler to McLean, GUW #13018.
Whistler sold another on 3 May 1888 through Wunderlich's to Ross Revillon Winans (1850-1912) for the same price, £5.5.0. 12 The firm listed one impression of 'Greedy baby' as 'on hand' in 1897, and it is not clear if this is the original or another one. The firm also exhibited one (or two separate impressions) in 1898 and 1903. 13 They certainly sold one impression, which was recorded by Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932) as being owned by Mrs E. B. Holden in 1910, and was later owned by Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) and Harris G. Whittemore (d. ca 1937) () before being acquired by the Library of Congress.
) before being acquired by the Library of Congress. Whistler sold his third impression on 2 July 1888 to Frederick Keppel (1845-1912) of F. Keppel & Co., New York, still for £5.5.0 (possibly ). 14 This may have been the impression later acquired by Knoedler & Co., and eventually by Lessing Julius Rosenwald (1891-1971), who gave it to the National Gallery of Art (). Thus all three known impressions made their way to Washington, DC.
). 14 This may have been the impression later acquired by Knoedler & Co., and eventually by Lessing Julius Rosenwald (1891-1971), who gave it to the National Gallery of Art (). Thus all three known impressions made their way to Washington, DC.14: GUW #13063.