The Little Venice |  Art Institute of Chicago (1934.570) | |
| Number: | 238 | |
| Date: | 1880 | |
| Medium: | etching | |
| Size: | 185 x 264 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at lower left | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | 'First Venice Set', 1880 | |
| No. of States: | 2 | |
| Known impressions: | 54 | |
| Catalogues: | K.183; M.180; W.149 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (54) | ||
The Little Venice dates from 1880. Whistler was in Venice from September 1879 to November 1880. According to Thomas Robert Way (1861-1913), this copper plate was drawn in Italy but brought back to London to be etched and printed. 1
1: Way 1912, p. 45.
Thus it was probably one of the last plates etched in Venice before Whistler's return. Way helped Whistler in printing the copper plates of the first 'Venice Set' for the Fine Art Society, at rooms taken in Air Street, London, late in 1880. The edition was completed and the copper plate was finally cancelled in 1889.