UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

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Cottage Door

Impression: Freer Gallery of Art
Freer Gallery of Art
(1888.1)
Number: 252
Date: 1886
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 68 x 100 mm
Signed: butterfly at upper left
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 2
Known impressions: 8
Catalogues: K.250; M.246; W.204
Impressions taken from this plate  (8)

TECHNIQUE

Whistler drew this lively group with expressive broken etched lines, adding regular shading, zigzag shading, and elaborate cross-hatching in the background. Finally he delicately clarified details of the figures and the area surrounding the figures with fine drypoint.

PRINTING

There may have been a limited print run of less than ten impressions. A printing record by Whistler and his unidentified assistants records two impressions of 'Cottage Door' printed on 16 May and three on 4 September 1887. 15

15: [8 February-29 September 1887], GUW #12716.

One first state is in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K2500102). Most are printed in black ink, with very light tone, on ivory laid paper, and trimmed to the platemark, leaving a tab for the butterfly and 'imp' to show that Whistler had printed them (Graphic with a link to impression #K2500202, Graphic with a link to impression #K2500204) to show that Whistler printed them.