Etchings Institutions search term: xx
The Young Tree | ||
Number: | 285 | |
Date: | 1887 | |
Medium: | etching | |
Size: | 133 x 95 mm | |
Signed: | butterfly at right | |
Inscribed: | no | |
Set/Publication: | no | |
No. of States: | 1 | |
Known impressions: | 5 | |
Catalogues: | K.296; M.291 | |
Impressions taken from this plate (5) |
TECHNIQUE
The plate for The Young Tree was executed in pure etching. An impressionistic summary of the scene - children, a skinny tree and sunny gardens - is suggested with broken, repeated and jerky lines, and large blank areas punctuated by a few dots and dashes.
PRINTING
Only a few impressions are known. They are printed in very dark brown or black ink on laid paper. One, marked on the verso by Whistler with 'oo' (possibly as a mark of quality, or selection for a particular client), is a delicate impression with light, even tone on very thin Hunting horn watermarked laid paper (). Another, also in dark brown ink, is on buff laid paper with 'PRO PATRIA' watermark, a sheet apparently taken from a book (). They are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.'' to show that Whistler had printed them.