UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Etchings         Institutions search term: hunterian art gallery

The Market Place, Tours

Impression: Freer Gallery of Art
Freer Gallery of Art
(1889.10)
Number: 388
Date: 1888
Medium: etching
Size: 271 x 136 mm
Signed: butterfly at left
Inscribed: no
Set/Publication: no
No. of States: 1
Known impressions: 3
Catalogues: K.374; M.374
Impressions taken from this plate  (3)

TECHNIQUE

The plate for The Market Place, Tours, was executed in pure etching. The composition fills the plate horizontally but leaves open space at the top and bottom. It was drawn carefully, with a variety of short lines, some hooked, slightly curving or angular, describing the figures. Serried ranks of short slightly curved lines indicate roof tiles and rows of cobbles, with a few zigzags and small irregular patches of cross-hatching for the deepest shadows in the windows and under the eaves.

PRINTING

Only three impressions have been located. The first proof is in dark brown ink on ivory laid paper removed from a book. Others are in brown ink on ivory laid (Graphic with a link to impression #K3740104) and black on cream laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K3740z01). All are trimmed to the platemark and signed on the tab with a butterfly and 'imp.' to show that Whistler printed them.