Etchings Institutions search term: grolier club
T. A. Nash's Greengrocer's Shop |  Hunterian Art Gallery (46622) | |
| Number: | 298 | |
| Date: | 1887 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 178 x 126 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper right | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 5 | |
| Known impressions: | 10 | |
| Catalogues: | K.263; M.260; W.215 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (10) | ||
TECHNIQUE
While Whistler began T. A. Nash's Greengrocer's Shop in etching and made a number of drypoint additions, he stopped work on the plate with most of the left foreground undrawn and blank.
Long lines outlined the basic shape of the shop, but the figures are drawn with broken, slightly curving, and wriggly lines, augmented by patches of short lines to indicate shadows. Irregular 'shreds and patches' of parallel lines in etching and drypoint, sometimes layered, and sometimes overlapping, suggest the play of light and shadow in the interior of the shop.
PRINTING
There may have been a print-run of a dozen impressions. An impression of the second state was printed on ivory laid paper in dark brown ink (
). Two impressions, one of the third and one of the final state - are in dark brown ink on laid paper with a partial 'PRO PATRIA' watermark (, ). A fourth state is also in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper () and a fifth state in black ink on cream laid paper (). Other late impressions are on light-weight off-white laid paper (-) and Japanese paper (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.
). Two impressions, one of the third and one of the final state - are in dark brown ink on laid paper with a partial 'PRO PATRIA' watermark (, ). A fourth state is also in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper () and a fifth state in black ink on cream laid paper (). Other late impressions are on light-weight off-white laid paper (-) and Japanese paper (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.