UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Etchings         Institutions search term: obach

York Street, Westminster

Impression: Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
(1917.477)
Number: 382
Date: 1888
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 128 x 218 mm
Signed: butterfly at lower left
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 2
Known impressions: 8
Catalogues: K.270; M.266; W.220
Impressions taken from this plate  (8)

TECHNIQUE

This is primarily etched, with small touches of fine drypoint shading in the shop window and doorway at left, as well as around the woman and child looking in the shop window at right.

PRINTING

Most impressions are of the first state, printed in dark brown or black ink on various papers including ivory (Graphic with a link to impression #K2700102, Graphic with a link to impression #K2700103), watermarked dark ivory (Graphic with a link to impression #K2700105) and cream laid papers (Graphic with a link to impression #K2700107), and ivory wove paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K2700104).
The second state was printed in black ink on ivory laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K2700201) and dark brown ink on 'antique' (pre-1800) buff laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K2700109). Early impressions were trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them, but neither of the last impressions were signed by the artist.