Etchings Institutions search term: obach
Zaandam |  Hunterian Art Gallery (49904) | |
| Number: | 458 | |
| Date: | 1889 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 131 x 221 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at upper left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 2 | |
| Known impressions: | 16 | |
| Catalogues: | K.416; M.414; W.268 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (16) | ||
TECHNIQUE
The first state is in pure etching, with drypoint lines used to suggest clouds in the second state. 10
10: Pennell 1908 , vol. 2, pp. 83-85.
PRINTING
Most known impressions are of the second state. They were printed in various shades of ink, including brown ink on thin buff Japanese paper (
), dark brown ink on buff laid western paper (), and in dark brown () and black ink () on cream Asian laid paper. Others in black ink were printed on tan laid (), on buff, light-weight 'antique' (pre-1800) laid (), and on ivory Japanese paper (). Whistler seems to have had a slight preference for buff and darker shades of paper for this etching (although it may be that these papers have darkened), and this sometimes gave a warmer effect to the black ink.
), dark brown ink on buff laid western paper (), and in dark brown () and black ink () on cream Asian laid paper. Others in black ink were printed on tan laid (), on buff, light-weight 'antique' (pre-1800) laid (), and on ivory Japanese paper (). Whistler seems to have had a slight preference for buff and darker shades of paper for this etching (although it may be that these papers have darkened), and this sometimes gave a warmer effect to the black ink.A number of impressions of this etching on laid paper were numbered and dated:
'2. mar. 6.' (, which Whistler kept in his own possession);
'5. Mar. 6', inscribed 'For Wunderlich' ();
'7. Mar. 6' (, sold to Wunderlich's).
, which Whistler kept in his own possession);'5. Mar. 6', inscribed 'For Wunderlich' (
);'7. Mar. 6' (
, sold to Wunderlich's).
This code appears to be a record of etchings printed on 6 March 1890, and thus that these three impressions of Zaandam were printed on that day. Of course it could mean that there was an edition of at least seven Zaandams printed on that day, of which Nos.1, 3, 4 and 6 have not been located. However, several other Dutch etchings - Balcony, Amsterdam
[446], The Long House (The Dyers, Amsterdam)
[453], The Pierrot
[450] and Bridge, Amsterdam
[447] - bear that date. The records are not complete but it looks as if printing Zaandam alternated with printing other etchings, particularly Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam, as is shown by the surviving annotated impressions, as follows:
'1 Mar 6' Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam ().
'2. Mar. 6' Balcony, Amsterdam ().
'2. Mar. 6' Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam ().
'2. mar. 6.' Zaandam ().
'3. mar. 6' Bridge, Amsterdam ().
'4. Mar. 6' [?] Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam ().
'5. Mar. 6' Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam ().
'5. Mar. 6' Zaandam ().
'7. Mar. 6' Zaandam ().
).'2. Mar. 6' Balcony, Amsterdam (
).
'2. Mar. 6' Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam (
).'2. mar. 6.' Zaandam (
).
'3. mar. 6' Bridge, Amsterdam (
).'4. Mar. 6' [?] Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam (
).'5. Mar. 6' Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam (
).
'5. Mar. 6' Zaandam (
).'7. Mar. 6' Zaandam (
).
Thus at least ten impressions of four etchings (Balcony, Amsterdam, Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam, Bridge, Amsterdam and Zaandam) were printed on 6 March 1890. Three of those recorded on this date have identical numbering, '2. Mar. 6' (Balcony, Amsterdam, Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam and Zaandam). In addition there is one pair dated '1. Mar. 6', Balcony, Amsterdam and Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam; and another pair dated '5. Mar. 6' , Zaandam and Long House - Dyer’s - Amsterdam. This suggests that Whistler was printing between one and three impressions of these four Dutch etchings on the same day, and selecting ones for prospective clients.