UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

This drypoint evolved through eleven states, both to develop the composition and to correct and later to restore fading drypoint.

There may have been a print-run of up to 20 impressions of this drypoint before cancellation, and even more after cancellation. Early impressions, with a heavy burr on the drypoint lines, were printed in black ink on Asian papers including cream Japanese paper (), and on various shades of paper from cream (, ) and ivory () to buff (). An impression of the fourth state was inscribed by Whistler to Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) and dated '1873' with a note '6 x' that may mean he had six impressions remaining at that time (); and a fifth state probably acquired by William Cleverly Alexander (1840-1916) in the early 1870s has the number '11' inscribed, possibly by Whistler ().

However, impressions from the seventh to eleventh states are very different. They were probably printed and sold around 1877 and include a high proportion on old watermarked paper. The variety of inking and paper includes dark brown ink on ivory laid 'antique' (pre-1800) paper with a countermark, which has been removed from an old book, and has extensive old inscriptions, possibly in Dutch, on the verso (); brown ink on ivory laid paper, watermark 'B /TH' in an elaborate circle, with an old inscription, possibly Latin, on the verso (); black on ivory medium-weight 'antique' paper with an Arms of Amsterdam watermark (); brown on cream laid 'antique' with partial Pro Patria watermark () and black ink on ivory laid with a countermark, 'P D' () or 'D' ().

Finally the plate was lightly cancelled and was published in an album of Cancelled Plates ('Cancelled Set') by The Fine Art Society, London, 1879 in an edition of about 20. The cancelled set was usually printed on off-white or ivory laid paper in black ink, including one with a partial Van Gelder watermark () and others on 'modern' (post-1800) paper () although one is on cream wove paper ().

After cancellation, an attempt was made to restore the plate. One of these 'restored' impressions was printed in black ink on ivory Japan (). Another 'restored' impression was printed in a dark blue-green ink on off-white wove paper, on the back of a section cut from a map depicting islands - '[Iles] du Scarborough' and 'Iles Simpson' - sighted on the round-the-world voyage of the french corvette La Coquille in 1824 (). This sheet was cut from a magnificent six-volume atlas published in 1826-1830. According to Woodford, the volumes of this atlas in both the Royal Geographical Society and British Museum stop at p. 202. 12 It is not known when the sheet was cut out or when the plate was reprinted - it is extremely unlikely that Whistler was responsible!