UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

The Wine Glass was probably etched in London in 1859, when Whistler was learning to print his etchings under the tutelage of Auguste Delâtre (1822-1907). About 1873, Whistler wrote on an impression of the first state in the Avery Collection, 'London' and '1st State.' ().

However, it could have been printed in Paris, for on 29 June1859 Francis Seymour Haden, Sr (1818-1910) asked Delâtre if their mutual friend, Ignace-Henri-Jean-Théodore Fantin-Latour (1836-1904), could bring the copper plate of 'Le verre à vin' to London. 1 This is the first dated reference to the etching. Many years later, Whistler was asked the date of this etching by W. G. Churcher (fl. 1891-1904), and replied:

'I fear I cannot help you in this matter - / My work is very seldom dated - and I do not at all remember the year of the "Wineglass" / I know that it was done in England at the time of the first Thames Etchings - and I should think that doubtless Wedmore in his catalogue would have something about it - more to the point than the merely foolish opinion of a critic'. 2

This letter accompanies an impression of the etching in the Art Institute of Chicago (, ). In fact neither Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921), nor any other cataloguer, hazarded a guess as to the date.