UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Etchings         Institutions search term: metropolitan museum

Irving as Philip of Spain, No. 1

Impression: Freer Gallery of Art
Freer Gallery of Art
(1903.267)
Number: 158
Date: 1876/1877
Medium: drypoint
Size: 228 x 153 mm
Signed: no
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 4
Known impressions: 6
Catalogues: K.170; M.167; W.139
Impressions taken from this plate  (6)

STATE

Four states are known before cancellation.

State 1

Impression: K1700102
There is no signature or inscription.
The background shading to left of the head is in short slanting or vertical lines and at right is in vertical lines.

State 2

Impression: K1700202
The figure - particularly Irving's left leg - has been partly erased; two series of diagonal lines run around the head from the upper arm at left to the shoulder at right; slanting lines are added under his arm at right; the shape of the figure is modified with several outlines.

State 3

Impression: K1700301
Diagonal lines shading the background reach below the knees at left and to his right thigh; several roughly vertical lines indicate a curtain in the upper left background; the details of his dress and the shading on and under his left arm have been reduced or worn down; the foul biting at the right edge is partly removed.
In the impression reproduced by Kennedy the figure was extensively remodelled in wash. 11 This impression has not been located and it is hard to tell if some additions, such as the outlines of the cloak and legs are in drypoint or wash; his right arm and sword are definitely in ink.

11: Kennedy 1910 (cat. no. 170).

State 4

Light diagonal lines are added in the background at left and a few roughly vertical lines on the curtain at right; the lines below the cloak at right are extended; several outlines are added to his left leg.
No impression of this state has been located. It is known only from the cancelled plate.

State 4 (cancelled)

Etching: PS_K170_01 (plate)
Cancelled with eight bold crossed diagonal lines across the figure and background.

A digital image based on the copper plate is reproduced above. 12

12: A scan of the copper plate was flipped horizontally, converted to greyscale, and colour inverted, with enhanced contrast.