Etchings Institutions search term: mclean
House of the Swan, Brussels |  Art Institute of Chicago (1934.637) | |
| Number: | 337 | |
| Date: | 1887 | |
| Medium: | etching | |
| Size: | 178 x 66 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at lower centre | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 1 | |
| Known impressions: | 2 | |
| Catalogues: | K.363; M.360 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (2) | ||
PUBLICATION
House of the Swan, Brussels was not published officially, but is closely related to a 'Brussels Set'.
EXHIBITIONS
Rarely exhibited, it was, however, shown in two exhibitions by the New York print dealer, H. Wunderlich & Co., in 1898 and 1903. 7 An impression was lent by Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) to the exhibition organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900 (
). 8
It was also shown after Whistler's death in two of the Memorial Exhibitions, at the Grolier Club in New York in 1904, and in London in 1905. It is not clear if these were multiple exhibitions of one or two impressions. 9
). 8
It was also shown after Whistler's death in two of the Memorial Exhibitions, at the Grolier Club in New York in 1904, and in London in 1905. It is not clear if these were multiple exhibitions of one or two impressions. 9
7: See REFERENCES: EXHIBITIONS.
8: Chicago 1900 (cat. no. 298).
9: New York 1904a (cat. no. 389); London Mem. 1905 (cat. no. 349).
SALES & COLLECTORS
Whistler sold an impression on 17 November 1887 to the London print dealer, Thomas M. McLean (b. ca 1832), for £10.10.0. 10
His next sale was at the much lower price of £6.6.0 on 6 April 1891 to H. Wunderlich & Co. Further sales appear to be recorded to Wunderlich's in September 1897 and 1899, again for £6.6.0, alhtough it is possible that these include records of prints in stock as well as sales. 11 Finally Whistler sold an impression on 8 June 1903 - shortly before his death - to another London dealer, Robert Dunthorne (b. ca 1851) for £15.15.0. 12 The high price may reflect Dunthorne's realisation that Whistler was dying.
One of the impressions handled by Wunderlich's must have gone to Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916), who owned it by 1900 (). The only other impression that has been located was bought from Goodspeed's Book Shop in Boston in 1939 by the Library of Congress, Washington, DC (); its early history is not known.
One of the impressions handled by Wunderlich's must have gone to Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916), who owned it by 1900 (
). The only other impression that has been located was bought from Goodspeed's Book Shop in Boston in 1939 by the Library of Congress, Washington, DC (); its early history is not known.