Jo's Bent Head |  Freer Gallery of Art (1898.409) | |
| Number: | 88 | |
| Date: | 1861 | |
| Medium: | drypoint | |
| Size: | 226 x 152 mm | |
| Signed: | no | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | no | |
| No. of States: | 3 | |
| Known impressions: | 25 | |
| Catalogues: | K.78; M.78 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (25) | ||
TECHNIQUE
The figure was drawn in drypoint with a few long sweeps of the needle, and the face, hair and shadows with repeated, shorter strokes. Early impressions print with a lot of burr (
), and some later ones were printed with plate tone to compensate for the fading burr (i.e. , ). Lochnan comments:
), and some later ones were printed with plate tone to compensate for the fading burr (i.e. , ). Lochnan comments:'In the drypoint Jo's Bent Head... Whistler carried the tendency toward radical elimination of detail found in the portrait drypoints of 1859-60 to extremes. While drawing Jo's head in profile he scarcely indicated the contour of her seated form, leaving a great deal to the viewer's imagination. The plate was printed leaving a film of surface tone to suggest atmosphere.' 6
6: Lochnan 1984, pp. 135-136.
PRINTING
Most impressions were printed in black ink, and have broad margins. A proof of the first state is on cream laid paper with a Jester watermark (), and a second state on cream laid paper ().
), and a second state on cream laid paper (). Impressions of the third state are on a variety of laid papers, including ivory (), cream with 'P' countermark (), 'antique' (pre-1800) with the Strasbourg Lily/VR watermark (), off-white 'antique' () and cream with a hunting horn watermark (). Others are in dark brown ink, for instance, one on dark cream paper with an Arms of Amsterdam watermark (), and on cream with an 'IV' countermark (, ).
), cream with 'P' countermark (), 'antique' (pre-1800) with the Strasbourg Lily/VR watermark (), off-white 'antique' () and cream with a hunting horn watermark (). Others are in dark brown ink, for instance, one on dark cream paper with an Arms of Amsterdam watermark (), and on cream with an 'IV' countermark (, ).Two unusual sheets are of medium-weight paper watermarked 'No 1' in a diamond (), and another of off-white paper watermarked 'L' ().
), and another of off-white paper watermarked 'L' ().
Some thirty impressions are recorded. This is a surprising number and it may be that at least some impressions of the final state, such as the one reproduced above, were printed by another printer. Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1860-1938) is said to have printed one impression (), and he gave one to the British Museum in 1920 ().
), and he gave one to the British Museum in 1920 ().