Etchings Institutions search term: dowdeswell
Clothes-Exchange, Houndsditch, No. 1 | ||
Number: | 358 | |
Date: | 1887 | |
Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
Size: | 162 x 242 mm | |
Signed: | butterfly at left | |
Inscribed: | no | |
Set/Publication: | no | |
No. of States: | 2 | |
Known impressions: | 12 | |
Catalogues: | K.287; M.282; W.231 | |
Impressions taken from this plate (12) |
TECHNIQUE
The plate was begun in etching, with just a few small touches of drypoint shading in the first known state. In the next state, Whistler added dark etched lines to the shading within the warehouse and fine drypoint lines to the shading of the upper window and to the wall above the awning. The subject was drawn with broken outlines and short jagged and curved lines, along with patches of shading and zigzag shading, and more elaborate shading on the warehouse interior and the wall above.
PRINTING
The first state of Clothes Exchange, Houndsditch, No. 1 was printed in dark brown ink on off-white laid paper with a 'DHK' countermark (). Most impressions are of the second state, one being in black ink () and several in dark brown ink on 'antique' (pre-1800) laid paper with a PRO PATRIA watermark (, , , ) including one sheet kept by Whistler (). One is on a different paper, somewhat darkened, a buff laid paper with the Strasbourg Lily and 'GR' watermark (). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler had printed them.