UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Whistler began this plate in pure etching and then employed both etching and drypoint as he made revisions to the composition. The most dramatic change in the plate was the alteration of the standing man at the right, who was sketched in, removed and then re-etched in a different costume and pose. That section of the plate was rebitten and strengthened later in the plate's printing life, but most other changes were made in drypoint. The drypoint additions consisted primarily of shading on the figure group at the left and on the sky. There also were a number of accidental changes to the copper plate in the form of scratches and foul biting.

Over 50 impressions are known. Early impressions were printed mostly in black ink. The first state is on ivory laid paper with 'KF' countermark (); the second both on ivory laid () and ivory Asian laid paper (); the third on buff Asian laid (), and the fourth on off-white western laid paper (). Whistler alternated between western and eastern papers while developing the image, preparatory to printing the main edition.

The etching went through many states before Whistler was satisfied. In 1880 and 1881 he printed on paper with wide margins. As late as the sixth and seventh states, impressions are signed with the large, veined butterfly of 1881 (, , , ). These impressions were sometimes marked with a code for selection for the exhibition or particular clients. For instance one was marked 'D' and 'V' () and another, 'c. x.' ().

Papers employed for the sixth state include cream Asian vellum-like wove (), ivory western laid paper with '1814' watermark (), and laid with a Strasbourg Lily watermark (). By the seventh state impressions were being trimmed to the platemark, not necessarily by Whistler, leaving the butterfly on a tab but eliminating any such 'codes' (, ). They can be in black ink on, for instance, medium-weight ivory wove paper () or in dark brown ink, for example an impression possibly dated little later on ivory laid with Arms of Amsterdam watermark ().

Letters, lists, invoices and receipts document Whistler's edition of the twelve etchings of the 'First Venice Set' for the Fine Art Society. He delivered five impressions of The Venetian Mast on 16 February, fifteen 6 April and four on 25 August 1881; none in 1882; three on 16 July and one on 8 August 1883; two on 6 March 1884; none in 1885. 9

By this time Whistler was also busy printing the 'Second Venice Set' for Messrs Dowdeswell. On 18 November 1886 Ernest George Brown (1853/1854-1915) prodded Whistler gently, reminding him of his obligations to the Fine Art Society by asking for nine more impressions. 10 It was 13 January 1887 before he received nine more; and Whistler went on to deliver three on 25 June 1887; three on 2 April, four on 11 April and finally six on 2 May 1889, making a total of 55 impressions. 11

These 1887-1889 prints include an eighth state on thin laid paper (), ninth on buff laid (), tenth on off-white laid () and several later impressions - 11th and 12th states - on papers with Strasbourg Lily watermarks (, , ).

Printing finished in April 1889, and the plate was cancelled, probably to the immense relief of both Whistler and the F.A.S. 12 Finally Whistler printed two impressions from the cancelled plate on laid papers with similar watermarks 'FELLOWS/ RS' () and possibly 'FELLOWS 1804' ().