The Fishing Boat |  Art Institute of Chicago (1938.1884) | |
| Number: | 198 | |
| Date: | 1879/1880 | |
| Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
| Size: | 157 x 234 mm | |
| Signed: | butterfly at lower right (1) | |
| Inscribed: | no | |
| Set/Publication: | 'Second Venice Set', 1886 | |
| No. of States: | 6 | |
| Known impressions: | 39 | |
| Catalogues: | K.208; M.205; W.178 | |
| Impressions taken from this plate (39) | ||
PUBLICATION
It was published by Messrs Dowdeswell and Alphonse Wyatt Thibaudeau (ca 1840- d.1892) with A Set of Twenty-six Etchings (the 'Second Venice Set') in 1886.
Whistler delivered in all 1093 prints and was paid £2.10.6 for printing each dozen prints. 14
Whistler delivered in all 1093 prints and was paid £2.10.6 for printing each dozen prints. 14
14: Dowdeswell to Whistler, invoice 16 July 1887, GUW #00891.
EXHIBITIONS
Fishing Boat was first exhibited at the Fine Art Society in London in 1883, and at the reprise of the same show by H. Wunderlich & Co. in New York later in the year. In the F.A.S. exhibition catalogue, designed and written by Whistler, he included quotes chosen from earlier reviews to complement his etchings. In the catalogue Fishing Boat was twinned ironically with a phrase by Philip Gilbert Hamerton (1834-1894), 'Subjects unimportant in themselves'. 15
Reviews were few, but the Daily News recommended it, 'Among etchings which will be, or should be admired'. 16 Another London paper, the Standard, comparing it with Nocturne: Furnace [208], asserted: 'His "Furnace Nocturne" is among the best, and is very skilful. His "Fishing Boat" is as fine in line as is the other in light and shade.' 17
Print dealer's shows include H. Wunderlich & Co., in New York in 1898 (
) and (twice) in 1903; Obach & Co. in London in 1903, F. Keppel & Co., New York, in 1902 and 1904. 18 An impression was on view at a show organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900, lent by Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) (). 19 In the following year James Cox-Cox (ca 1849- d.1901) lent one to the Glasgow International Exhibition. 20
After Whistler's death, an impression was also shown in the comprehensive Grolier Club exhibition in New York in 1904 and (lent from the Royal Collection) at the Whistler Memorial Exhibition in London in 1905 (). 21
Reviews were few, but the Daily News recommended it, 'Among etchings which will be, or should be admired'. 16 Another London paper, the Standard, comparing it with Nocturne: Furnace [208], asserted: 'His "Furnace Nocturne" is among the best, and is very skilful. His "Fishing Boat" is as fine in line as is the other in light and shade.' 17
Print dealer's shows include H. Wunderlich & Co., in New York in 1898 (
) and (twice) in 1903; Obach & Co. in London in 1903, F. Keppel & Co., New York, in 1902 and 1904. 18 An impression was on view at a show organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900, lent by Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) (). 19 In the following year James Cox-Cox (ca 1849- d.1901) lent one to the Glasgow International Exhibition. 20 After Whistler's death, an impression was also shown in the comprehensive Grolier Club exhibition in New York in 1904 and (lent from the Royal Collection) at the Whistler Memorial Exhibition in London in 1905 (
). 21 15: London FAS 1883 (cat. no. 38).
16: Anon., 'Mr Whistler's Etchings', Daily News, 20 February 1883 (GUL PC25/20).
17: Anon., 'Mr Whistler's Exhibition', Standard, London, 17 February 1883 (GUL PC 25/22).
18: See REFERENCES: EXHIBITIONS.
19: Chicago 1900 (cat. no. 158).
20: Glasgow 1901 (cat. no. 231).
21: New York 1904a (cat. nos. 180, 180b); London Mem. 1905 (cat. no. 178).
SALES & COLLECTORS
The first sale recorded was in August 1882 when Whistler sold an impression to Wickham Flower (b. ca 1836) for £4.4.0. 22 On 12 September 1882 he sold another to Queen Victoria for £5.5.0 (). 23 This was later - in 1906 - sold through Agnew's and H. Wunderlich & Co. to Clarence Buckingham (1855-1913), who bequeathed it to the Art Institute of Chicago.
After 1886 most impressions were sold through Messrs Dowdeswell. Among the few other sales recorded by Whistler were sales to another London print dealer, Robert Dunthorne (b. ca 1851) for £6.6.0 in 1902, and for £8.8.0 in 1903. 24
Dowdeswell's gave a set including an impression of The Fishing Boat to the British Museum in 1887 (). Thibaudeau sold a set for £52.10.0 through Gustave Lauser (b. ca 1841) to H. Wunderlich & Co. in May 1888, and it was bought by Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) in 1890 (). Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) bought one from Frederick Keppel & Co. in 1887 (), and another, originally owned by Francis Seymour Haden, Sr (1818-1910), through Wunderlich's in 1898 ().
). 23 This was later - in 1906 - sold through Agnew's and H. Wunderlich & Co. to Clarence Buckingham (1855-1913), who bequeathed it to the Art Institute of Chicago.After 1886 most impressions were sold through Messrs Dowdeswell. Among the few other sales recorded by Whistler were sales to another London print dealer, Robert Dunthorne (b. ca 1851) for £6.6.0 in 1902, and for £8.8.0 in 1903. 24
Dowdeswell's gave a set including an impression of The Fishing Boat to the British Museum in 1887 (
). Thibaudeau sold a set for £52.10.0 through Gustave Lauser (b. ca 1841) to H. Wunderlich & Co. in May 1888, and it was bought by Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) in 1890 (). Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) bought one from Frederick Keppel & Co. in 1887 (), and another, originally owned by Francis Seymour Haden, Sr (1818-1910), through Wunderlich's in 1898 (). At auction, one impression sold at Christie’s, 27 November 1888 (lot 177) was bought by Obach & Co. for £1.4.0. An impression was sold at auction in 1892, from the collection of the late Joshua Hutchinson Hutchinson (ca 1829 - d.1891) 25 to Edmund F. Deprez (1851-1915) for £1.12.0. A complete 'Venice, Second Series' 'in a folio' owned by Mrs Edward Fisher of Abbotsbury, Newton Abbot, went at Christie’s, 13-14 July 1897 (lot 316) to Colnaghi's for £82.0.0.
25: Sotheby's, 3 March 1892 (lot 273)
Early European collectors included Jules Gerbeau (d. 1906) () and Atherton Curtis (1863-1944) (), and American collectors, George Aloysius Lucas (1824-1909) (); Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) (); Judson S. Dutcher (b. ca 1863) (); Harry Brisbane Dick (1855-1916) () and Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) (). Obach & Co. sold an impression to the Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin, in 1902 for £8.0.0 ().
26
) and Atherton Curtis (1863-1944) (), and American collectors, George Aloysius Lucas (1824-1909) (); Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) (); Judson S. Dutcher (b. ca 1863) (); Harry Brisbane Dick (1855-1916) () and Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) (). Obach & Co. sold an impression to the Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin, in 1902 for £8.0.0 ().
26 26: 10 May 1902, Museum records.