Etchings Institutions search term: obach
Fanny Leyland | ||
Number: | 135 | |
Date: | 1874 | |
Medium: | drypoint | |
Size: | 197 x 134 mm | |
Signed: | butterfly at left (2-final) | |
Inscribed: | 'Fanny Leyland' at upper left | |
Set/Publication: | no | |
No. of States: | 6 | |
Known impressions: | 12 | |
Catalogues: | K.108; M.107; T.77; W.94 | |
Impressions taken from this plate (12) |
TECHNIQUE
This is pure drypoint, drawn very fully and delicately at the beginning, with later changes mainly to the position and pose of the foot, plus areas of shading in the background drawn with long lines, and patches of shading on the dress and hair, drawn with much shorter lines. As the drypoint wore down some of the shading was reinforced with new shading and outlines.
PRINTING
There are a few impressions of each of the six states. The first state was printed in black ink on thin cream Japanese paper (, ). Subsequent impressions varied in inking and paper, including a third state printed in black ink on ivory Japan () and fourth states, also in black ink, on heavier, firm Japan paper () and ivory laid paper taken from a book () as well as in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper with the Arms of Amsterdam watermark ().
In 1931 Nathaniel Sparks (1880-1956) was asked by Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) to try and print from the plate. On 18 June 1931 he noted 'Four proofs taken, one cut to the margins - paper from his book / Plate greatly worne [sic], practically no burr remains- ' 12 No signed impressions by Sparks have been located and it is possible that they were destroyed.
12: Martin Hopkinson, 'Nathaniel Sparks's Printing of Whistler's Etchings', Print Quarterly, 1999, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 340, 342, 349.