The Clock Tower - Amboise | ||
Number: | 429 | |
Date: | 1888 | |
Medium: | etching and drypoint | |
Size: | 178 x 127 mm | |
Signed: | butterfly at left | |
Inscribed: | no | |
Set/Publication: | no | |
No. of States: | 1 | |
Known impressions: | 10 | |
Catalogues: | K.394; M.394 | |
Impressions taken from this plate (10) |
PUBLICATION
It was never published. However, it is considered part of Whistler's unpublished 'Renaissance Set'.
EXHIBITIONS
It was first exhibited in the show organised by the Caxton Club in Chicago in 1900, lent by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) (). 13
After Whistler's death, an impression was lent by Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) to the Whistler Memorial show in Boston in 1904 (). 14 Impressions were also included in the comprehensive Grolier Club show in New York in 1904 and at the Whistler Memorial Exhibition in London in 1905. 15
After Whistler's death, an impression was lent by Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) to the Whistler Memorial show in Boston in 1904 (). 14 Impressions were also included in the comprehensive Grolier Club show in New York in 1904 and at the Whistler Memorial Exhibition in London in 1905. 15
13: Chicago 1900 (cat. no. 260).
14: Boston 1904 (cat. no. 223).
15: New York 1904a (cat. no. 383); London Mem. 1905 (cat. no. 343).
SALES & COLLECTORS
Whistler first sold an impression on 17 February 1889 to Charles John Knowles (1840-1900) for £8.8.0. 16 He then sold a couple to dealers at the same price, the first on 27 March 1889 to the London art firm, The Fine Art Society, being No. 6 of 24 etchings sold. 17 Then they may have bought another or merely confirmed this sale on 21 May. 18 In any case one impression was bought on 24 May by Charles Lang Freer (1856-1919) () and the number '6' written on the verso appears to confirm the sale. However '6' is also written on the verso of the impression bought by Howard Mansfield (1849-1938), and this may also have come from the F.A.S. (). Whistler sold another among 18 impressions to Knoedler & Co. in July 1889. 19 This may have been one marked '1st State - Early proof' which bears Knoedler's stock number 33003 ().
Whistler gave one impression to Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932) () and sold several more impressions to Kennedy's firm, H. Wunderlich & Co., his main dealers in New York. The first two, on 16 April 1889 ('15' in a list of 18 sold) and 6 April 1891 cost £8.8.0 each; the next, in the summer of 1897 was only £7.7.0; and the last, in 1900, was back to £8.8.0. 20 Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) almost certainly bought his impression from Wunderlich's, since it bears their stock no. 35398 (). In 1903 David A. Kennedy (fl.1895-1915) asked Whistler for another impression, but there is no record of one being available. 21
Whistler gave one impression to Edward Guthrie Kennedy (1849-1932) () and sold several more impressions to Kennedy's firm, H. Wunderlich & Co., his main dealers in New York. The first two, on 16 April 1889 ('15' in a list of 18 sold) and 6 April 1891 cost £8.8.0 each; the next, in the summer of 1897 was only £7.7.0; and the last, in 1900, was back to £8.8.0. 20 Bryan Lathrop (1844-1916) almost certainly bought his impression from Wunderlich's, since it bears their stock no. 35398 (). In 1903 David A. Kennedy (fl.1895-1915) asked Whistler for another impression, but there is no record of one being available. 21
Early collectors included Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) (); Douglas H. Campbell (1859-1952) (); Atherton Curtis (1863-1944) (); Guy John Fenton Knowles (1879-1959) (); Pauline Kohlsaat Palmer (1882-1956) (); and Lessing Julius Rosenwald (1891-1971) ().
An impression printed by Nathaniel Sparks (1880-1956) in 1931 was bequeathed by Rosalind Birnie Philip (1873-1958) to the University of Glasgow ().