Weary |  Hunterian Art Gallery (54093) | |
| Number: | 93 | |
| Date: | 1863 | |
| Medium: | drypoint and roulette | |
| Size: | 199 x 132 mm | |
| Signed: | 'Whistler.' at lower left (4-final) | |
| Inscribed: | '63.' at lower left (4); date removed (5) | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 6 | |
| Known impressions: | 35 | |
| Catalogues: | K.92; M.92; T.71; W.83 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (35) | ||
Weary dates from 1863 and was dated '63' on the plate by Whistler. 1
According to Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921), 'Mr Avery, who owns a proof of this dry-point has a note to the effect that it was 'finished' in October 1872.' 2 An impression owned by Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) is indeed signed 'J. A. McN. Whistler Oct. 13. 1872' (
) but it is not a final state. He could have signed it at the request of the purchaser, rather than when he printed it.
According to Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921), 'Mr Avery, who owns a proof of this dry-point has a note to the effect that it was 'finished' in October 1872.' 2 An impression owned by Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) is indeed signed 'J. A. McN. Whistler Oct. 13. 1872' (
) but it is not a final state. He could have signed it at the request of the purchaser, rather than when he printed it.1: Some cataloguers mis-read the inscription as '1868', Thomas 1874, (cat. no. 71).
2: Wedmore 1886 A (cat. no. 83).
Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932) thought that Whistler had worked on Weary at an even later date. He wrote to Whistler on 18 October 1889:
'We have heard that you have retouched some of your old plates and have printed from them, and that "Weary" is among them. We need scarcely remind you that we shall be pleased to see the impressions, which can be sent through Mr. Lauser'. 3
3: GUW #07186.
There is no further correspondence on this subject. Whistler sold an impression of Weary to H. Wunderlich & Co. shortly afterwards, and probably signed it at that time. 4 Whistler had kept the copper plate (it must have been returned to him after his bankruptcy in 1879), and could have printed it any time after 1880. Although there is no record of a later printing, it is possible that he did print some later impressions, and some were certainly signed in the 1880s and 1890s (i.e. , ).
, ).4: Wunderlich's receipt, 3 and 28 April 1890, GUW #13057.