The Two Doorways | ||
Number: | 221 | |
Date: | 1879/1880 | |
Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
Size: | 204 x 296 mm | |
Signed: | butterfly at left (4-final) | |
Inscribed: | no | |
Set/Publication: | 'First Venice Set', 1880 | |
No. of States: | 13 | |
Known impressions: | 54 | |
Catalogues: | K.193; M.190; W.158 | |
Impressions taken from this plate (54) |
KEYWORD
TITLE
'The Two Doorways' (1880, F.A.S.). 1
'Two Doorways' (1886, Frederick Wedmore (1844-1921)). 2
'The Two Doorways' (1887/1888, Whistler). 3
'Les deux portes – Venise' (1892, Soc. Nat., Paris) 4
'The Two Doorways' (1909, Howard Mansfield (1849-1938)). 5
The original title 'The Two Doorways' is preferred.
1: [1 December 1880], GUW 12667.
2: Wedmore 1886 A (cat. no. 158).
3: List, [1887/1888], GUW #13233.
5: Mansfield 1909 (cat. no. 190).
DESCRIPTION
SITE
6: Grieve 2000, pp. 91, 189.
DISCUSSION
Forges, furnaces and smiths are a recurrent subject in Whistler's work, providing dramatic lighting and complex figure compositions. These include several etchings (The Forge [86], Nocturne: Furnace [208], Murano - Glass Furnace [205], The Smithy [239], Wheelwright [240] and Flaming Forge [490]); as well as lithographs such as The Tyresmith [c036], and others of considerably later date; 8 related drawings, 9 and an oil painting, The Little Forge, Lyme Regis [y442].
7: i.e. Museum of London website at http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk
8: The Whitesmiths, Impasse des Carmélites [c092], The Forge, Passage du Dragon [c102], The Smith, Passage du Dragon [c103], The Master Smith [c120], The Sunny Smithy [c121], The Good Shoe [c122], Father and Son [c123], The Strong Arm [c125], The Blacksmith [c127] and The Brothers [c128].
9: Study for 'The Little Forge' (K.147) [m0574], Sketch of 'The Whitesmiths, Impasse des Carmélites' [m1417], Sketches of 'The Forge: Passage du Dragon' and 'The Smith: Passage du Dragon' [m1450], r.: The Blacksmith's, Howth; v.: Horse in a stable [m1619], r.: The Forge; v.: Smiths, Ajaccio [m1679], The Flaming Forge, Ajaccio [m1678].